Finding the Road Less Traveled

Do not feel stupid for having fears in recovery. Your eating disorder has instilled so much fear in you in order to control your thoughts and your behaviors, so it makes sense that you are afraid of certain types of foods, certain types of socialization, certain types of emotions, etc. Please, do not feel stupid for having these fears. Obviously it doesn’t make rational sense to be afraid of something like eating a cheeseburger, but there is nothing rational about eating disorders. The ability to really indulge in rational thinking unfolds in the recovery process. You are going to experience fear in recovery, but the fear that recovery presents to you is different than the fear that your ED forces upon you. In recovery, you are afraid because you are challenging false fundamental beliefs and rules that have been established by your ED, and facing the truth and facing your fears is scary! But my god, it is such inarticulable empowerment that you will feel when you face those fears and put your ED in its place. So, just focusing on tonight, do a pro-recovery behavior that really scares you (in that good type of way) and makes your ED squirm. Yes, you may be afraid to challenge your ED, but I promise you that the only consequences of facing these ED fears is growth and progress, not those worst-case scenarios that your ED has you believe. You can do this; face a fear tonight!