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By Jennifer Rollin, MSW, LCSW-C  On the outside, her life looks great. She can’t imagine how it would feel if people knew about her secret. During the day she only allows herself small portions of “healthy foods.” She promises herself that she will stick to this plan. Yet, at night she finds herself standing at the kitchen counter eating globs of peanut butter from the jar, finishing off trays full of cookies, cartons of ice cream, and loaves of bread slathered in butter and jelly. She emerges from a food daze feeling painfully stuffed, ashamed, and terrified. She purges-, either through vomiting or through self-punishing exercise. Afterwards, she feels a momentary sense of calm, followed by feelings of guilt and shame. She promises herself that tomorrow she will stick to her “healthy diet,” and the terrible cycle continues. Tips for Recovery The diet/binge/purge cycle is exhausting. It’s also filling some kind of emotional need for you. Through therapy, you can work to break free from this cycle and uncover the joyful life that you deserve. The following are a few of my tips for breaking out of the diet/binge/purge cycle:
It’s not your fault that you are struggling. However, you can choose to take the next steps in support of your recovery. If you find that you hate your life in recovery, you can always go back to your eating disorder. But what if you gave yourself the chance to try something different this time? Bulimia isn’t glamorous or cool. It’s swollen cheeks, teeth decaying, physical injuries from over-exercise, potentially losing your fertility (if you are a woman, however people of all genders can struggle), cardiac problems, depression, isolation, actual death, or living but feeling dead inside. You deserve to find freedom. The Eating Disorder Center is a premier outpatient eating disorder therapy center founded by Jennifer Rollin. We specialize in helping teens and adults struggling with anorexia, binge eating disorder, bulimia, OSFED, and body image issues. We provide eating disorder therapy in Rockville, MD, easily accessible to individuals in Potomac, North Potomac, Bethesda, Olney, Silver Spring, Germantown, and Washington D.C. We also offer eating disorder therapy virtually throughout California serving those in cities including Palo Alto, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Woodland Hills, San Jose, and Beverly Hills. We provide eating disorder recovery coaching via Zoom to people worldwide. Connect with us through our website at www.theeatingdisordercenter.com
By: Megan Samuels, Intern For The Eating Disorder Center  Friday June 7, 2019 was National Donut Day. I pulled up to Krispy Kreme with my parents and received a free donut that had chocolate icing and rainbow sprinkles. After I devoured the delicious round shaped pastry, I decided to reflect on my recovery journey, especially as it pertains to eating donuts. Donuts used to be a major fear food for me. By fear food, I mean that society, diet culture, and my own internalized beliefs led me to put donuts in a “bad food” category. I avoided donuts at all costs before my recovery and if I did have one, I would have extreme feelings of guilt and shame afterwards. Fast-forward to my recovery. I slowly learned to tackle eating donuts with my dietician. I started my eating it with a fork and a knife and then gradually moved to biting into the donut with my mouth. This transition from not eating donuts to eating a donut with my hands took time, effort, and patience. I remember at one point in my recovery I wanted to keep up my donut eating momentum so I stopped by the Dunkin Donuts near my apartment almost weekly and picked up a tasty, stylish donut. Eating donuts just became normal to me. They are no longer categorized as a “bad food” to me. They will always be a “bad food” to my eating disorder, but I have become aware that my eating disorder thoughts are not my thoughts. My thoughts say that all foods fit and I can eat whatever I want, whenever I want. Conquering the donut has taught me a lot about myself. I have learned that no matter what I set my mind to, it can be done. I have proved to myself that I can comfortably eat donuts, something I never thought would happen because my thoughts were so intertwined with my eating disorder that I couldn’t separate them. I know look forward to, and crave, donuts. Instead of denying myself this craving, as I used to do, I stop by the nearest donut shop and get a colorful decorated donut that I know I will enjoy. I show my recovery that I appreciate it and that my live is worth more than saying no to certain foods. I am excited for the food freedom that will come in the future with more time in recovery and more body respect and “all foods fit” mentality. Journaling Prompts:
The Eating Disorder Center is a premier outpatient eating disorder therapy center founded by Jennifer Rollin. We specialize in helping teens and adults struggling with anorexia, binge eating disorder, bulimia, OSFED, and body image issues. We provide eating disorder therapy in Rockville, MD, easily accessible to individuals in Potomac, North Potomac, Bethesda, Olney, Silver Spring, Germantown, and Washington D.C. We also offer eating disorder therapy virtually throughout California serving those in cities including Palo Alto, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Woodland Hills, San Jose, and Beverly Hills. We provide eating disorder recovery coaching via Zoom to people worldwide. Connect with us through our website at www.theeatingdisordercenter.com
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The Eating Disorder CenterWe are a premier outpatient eating disorder therapy center in Rockville, Maryland.
We also provide eating disorder recovery coaching to people worldwide via Zoom. Click here to book your free 15 minute phone consultation! Phone: 301-246-6856 Email: [email protected] Archives
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