People who have dealt with different traumas are often looking to achieve similar goals, although they cope in many different ways. After an emotionally scarring experience, the survivor may look for ways to regain control and numb the pain they are feeling. Many people turn to food and dieting to fill the void and achieve these goals. Thus, eating disorders are not uncommon if someone has dealt with trauma. The Guest House is here to help you if you’re struggling with an eating disorder as a result of any trauma you have experienced. We can help you address the root of your eating disorder and give you strategies to help you overcome it. One way to do that is to work on eating with intent.
Dieting Versus Eating With Good Intentions
There always seems to be a new diet that is guaranteed to help you lose weight and look great. That’s the thing about dieting — it’s usually focused on the numbers on the scale. Our society has a dangerous habit of placing so much importance on the numbers, which drives people to focus on shedding weight. If they don’t meet their goal of shrinking their body to an unsustainable level, they think they have failed. The unfortunate part of dieting is that even if the person reaches their goals, they can only be pleased for a few moments because they must get back to work — their new goal awaits.
This endless cycle is not only physically dangerous, but can impact a person’s mental health as well. Obsessing over diet culture leads many people to develop eating disorders, especially if the person has dealt with trauma. Aside from attempting to get thinner with each passing day, the person is reinforcing the belief that they are not worthy unless they look a certain way. They begin to view food as a way to control their appearance and not as a way to care for their body.
Eating with good intentions, on the other hand, is a way to heal your relationship with food. The more you focus on using food as fuel, the more you will release the idea of needing to label foods as good or bad and can allow yourself to be nourished and fulfilled because you deserve to be healthy. Intentional eating can also help you to revive the healthy relationship you have with yourself. If you’ve been focusing on using food as a means to have control, your relationship with yourself might be lacking. If you can work on letting self-love into your life, you’ll be able to understand that there is no ideal image or weight you must meet. Eating with good intentions allows you to focus on leading a healthy and happy life.
Are You on Autopilot Mode?
Take a few moments to think about your eating habits. Do you find yourself eating mindlessly? Do you instinctively use food as a reward? Do you automatically restrict your eating as a punishment? These are all signs of disordered eating which point toward the fact that you might be eating on autopilot. Part of developing good eating habits is actively removing yourself from autopilot mode. When you eat with intent, you are giving your body food because that’s what it needs to stay healthy. You aren’t giving your body food as a reward for doing something well or withholding food because you made a mistake. Turning off autopilot and switching to eating with good intentions means eating when you are hungry because food is fuel. Good intentions are not rooted in manipulating weight. Good intentions are rooted in nourishing your body so that you are able to be the best person you can be in your recovery.
Good Intentions in Recovery
As you work on recovering from a trauma-induced eating disorder, you will learn new coping skills to replace the patterns of disordered eating. Instead of turning toward food as comfort to help numb the pain from your trauma, you will learn how to process those intense emotions so that you don’t feel like you have to use food as a way to numb the pain. You’ll be able to learn how to use breathing techniques, mindfulness, journaling, and more to help you work through your feelings without numbing with food.
If you operate with the intentions of putting yourself first in your recovery, you’ll be able to dismantle the unhealthy, self-defeating behaviors you have acquired. By exploring the root causes of your eating disorder, you’ll be able to let go of the need to control with food and reach toward healthier ways of coping. It takes more than just good intentions in recovery. You have to be willing to put in the time and effort needed to change your life. The Guest House knows, however, that you are capable of recovery. There is strength within you. We can help you find it.
At The Guest House, we understand that you may have been using food as a way to cope with your experiences. By helping you work through your trauma, we can help loosen the grip that your eating disorder has on your life. Call The Guest House today at (855) 483-7800. Our trained and experienced staff wants to help you change your life. Call us today for more information about the programs we offer. We can’t wait to speak with you.