Tips for College Students Returning to School in Eating Disorder Recovery

By Megan Samuels, LMSW, Eating Disorder & Trauma Therapist

The transition back to school can bring up unique challenges and stressors for students who are also in recovery from an eating disorder.  It can be helpful to think through ways to transition back to college that also support eating disorder recovery.

The Eating Disorder Center, based in Rockville, Maryland has a team of therapists who specialize in working with college students struggling with eating disorders, we have in office appointments in Rockville, Maryland serving Bethesda, Potomac, Gaithersburg, and Olney, and virtual eating disorder therapy in Maryland, Virginia, Florida and New York. 

As an eating disorder therapist in Rockville, Maryland one thing that I recommend to clients is to figure out what the plan is for food.  This may look like having a pass to the dining hall, buying prepared foods, eating at restaurants/getting take out, or cooking for yourself (depending on the college set up).

If you have access to the dining hall, try to identify a support person (roommate, friend, loved one) to accompany you for the first few meals or days to help with the adjustment.  This can also give you an opportunity to find out what types of foods and options are available at the dining hall.  You can work with your therapist or coach to decide what foods are able to meet your meal plan and/or nutritional needs.

If you cook for yourself at college, think of a consistent day and time to go grocery shopping or to spend time meal prepping.  This may look like setting aside a few hours each Sunday to go to the grocery store and decide what you are going to eat for the week.  If you struggle with the grocery store, see if you can go at non-peak times (times when they aren’t as crowded) or see if there is a support person who can go with you.  

For more tips on shopping at the grocery store, feel free to check out this blog: https://www.theeatingdisordercenter.com/blog/three-tips-for-grocery-shopping-in-eating-disorder-recovery

Additionally, take some time to think through your new schedule and to block out time to eat.  This can look like blocking off time in your calendar with the words, “eat lunch,” or setting reminders on your phone to eat snacks or prepare meals.  Identify if you need to pack meals or snacks or if you have enough time to go get food or to go back to your dorm or apartment to cook a meal.  You can also always leave some snacks and food options in your backpack in case your schedule changes or your access to food changes and you need some quick snack options.  

It can also be helpful to identify relapse warning signs.  Spend some time reflecting on triggers around college and what relapse warning signs may look like.  For some people, warning signs may look like an increase in eating disorder behaviors, such as restriction, binge eating, and/or purging.  For others, it may look like isolation from loved ones or an increase in anxiety around food and social gatherings with food. These warning signs can be addressed during therapy or coaching sessions, which can also be a helpful source of support during times of transition.

By having these warning signs, you and support people in your life can look out for things that may need to be further addressed in therapy.  If you feel comfortable, you can share these warning signs with your therapist, coach, family members, and friends.

The next thing I encourage is to set up therapy and coaching appointments to assist with the transition back to college.  This may look like increasing the number of sessions each week to support your recovery.  This could also look like strategically scheduling sessions during mealtimes to be able to eat a meal and process with the clinician.  

College can be a big change from living at home during the summer and being with your family.  It can also bring up some anxiety around new classes, new friends, new living situations, etc.

I invite you to offer yourself patience and compassion as you enter this transition, and I encourage you to reach out to us for a free 15-minute consultation to see how we can support your recovery journey. 

Schedule a free 15 min consult for eating disorder therapy in our office in Rockville, Maryland or virtually in  MD, VA, DC, NY, FL, or recovery coaching worldwide.
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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, and are easily accessible to individuals in Potomac, North Potomac, Bethesda, Olney, Silver Spring, Germantown, and Washington D.C. We also provide eating disorder therapy in Arlington, Virginia and virtually throughout Virginia. Additionally, we offer eating disorder therapy virtually in New York (NYC), Florida, and California. We provide eating disorder and EMDR trauma therapy in Rockville, Maryland and virtually throughout Maryland. We provide eating disorder recovery coaching via Zoom to people worldwide. Connect with us through our website at www.theeatingdisordercenter.com