Defining Your Own Recovery

Author: Breanna Mills R.D.

Recovery from an eating disorder is a very individual experience. Research has tried to define a standardized definition of recovery; however, these definitions often leave out perspectives from those with lived experience of an eating disorder. Research by Kenny, Trottier and Lewis (2022) attempted to examine whether those with lived experience of an eating disorder agreed with a common definition of recovery and the research found that most individuals had concerns with aspects of the definition.

We know that eating disorders affect people of all genders, ages, races, ethnicities, body shapes and weights, sexual orientations and socioeconomic status, so it makes sense that recovery is a very individualized experience and process. NEDIC shares that for some people, recovery is an ongoing process of healing, for others recovery might be living a full and satisfying life. Many people recover to where they no longer struggle with disordered thoughts, feelings and behaviours related to food and their body. The good news is that full recovery is possible- whatever that means to you!

It can be hard to think of what you want your life to be without the eating disorder, especially when the eating disorder may have been leading you to engage with its values over your own for a long time. If you are having trouble thinking about what you want your life to be like, it may be helpful to explore what recovery could look like in different domains of your life.

How do you want recovery to look like in the following areas:

• Health

• Work

• Community

• Family/Friends

• Spirituality

Defining what recovery means to you or what you might want it to look like can be helpful way to determine and connect to your recovery goals and your recovery whys. This is also a flexible and dynamic definition, you can change it whenever you want to! If you are having trouble thinking about what you might want this to be, it might be helpful to take this question to your team or a supportive person in your life. Full recovery is possible and you deserve to live a life free from the eating disorder.

Sources:

Academy for Eating Disorders. (n.d.). Nine truths about eating disorders. Nine Truths About Eating Disorders - Academy for Eating Disorders. https://www.aedweb.org/resources/publications/nine-truths

Kenny, T.E., Trottier, K. & Lewis, S.P. Lived experience perspectives on a definition of eating disorder recovery in a sample of predominantly white women: a mixed method study. J Eat Disord 10, 149 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40337-022-00670-2

National Eating Disorder Information Centre. (n.d.). Help for yourself. NEDIC. https://nedic.ca/help-for-yourself/