Author: Valarie Bittner M.A. CPC
An active support system can play a key role in recovery. A support system can me made up different types of supports including family, friends, your treatment team and others in recovery you might meet along the way, such as through a recovery support group. Family and friends can help you live a life outside the eating disorder, encourage you in your treatment pursuits, and love you through the accomplishments and challenges of recovery. Your treatment team can help you establish recovery goals, gain insights, and encourage you to use your coping skills. And a recovery support group can be a safe space to share about your recovery with others who are also on their own journeys.
What can get in the way of utilizing support?
For someone with an eating disorder, social supports and connections can wane for many reasons - social isolation due to time and energy being consumed by the eating disorder, social anxieties, or fears about “burdening” others or being vulnerable with others. Recovery often involves rebuilding a support system and accepting the support of others. You deserve to receive support on your recovery journey!
Westwind offers a private recovery support group through our facebook page called the Westwind Support Community. The group is available to our previous and current clients as well as anyone who is seeking support in their recovery. You can use this group to heal, grow and learn in your recovery journey. Seeking support for yourself takes much courage.
You can use this group to…
share tips to keep your recovery in focus.
share your accomplishments, goals, challenges, gratitudes and strategies in your recovery journey.
hear words of encouragement and insight from others who are recovered and in recovery.
ask our caring and experienced Westwind team about the recovery process.
share your pro-recovery art and creative writing.
Recovery is a time to allow support in. If you are finding it challenging to accept support, remember how you feel when you are able to provide support to others. It’s a beautiful gift to be shared!