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Navigating the Holidays When You’re Recovering from an Eating Disorder
This time of year is an absolute dumpster fire when it comes to diet culture. People are going to talk about food, and how sinful it is, and how bad they were over Thanksgiving, and how they really shouldn’t eat another Christmas cookie, and how they’ll have to make up for their devilish choices in the gym — for the next two months straight. And everyone will agree with them and commiserate about how they had two — yes, TWO — pieces of pie after a second helping of dinner. They’re just out of control.
Being a person in recovery from ED makes me want to scream at all of these people.
Because we know. We know that the holidays are a really hard time of year for people who are dieting. Because dieting was our entire life.
And hearing about how terrified you are of getting fat after eating a Christmas cookie is doing no one any good. Give yourself, and the rest of the people around you, a break from your diet-obsessive commentary so that people can enjoy things.
We know that the holidays are a really hard time of year for people who are dieting. Because dieting was our entire life.