You work with many caring and compassionate individuals who help you stay on the path of recovery from your eating disorder. Thanksgiving can bring you on journeys across town, state, or country. Make appointments as necessary before your travels and see if your team like your therapist, your nutritionist, and your dietician are able to do phone appointments while you are gone if needed. Recovery is about flexibility and resiliency, however, recovery is also about self-care. Talk to who you need to talk to, plan what you need to plan, and take care of yourself in the way you need to protect your recovery.
Have a network waiting to support you
Outside of your professional support system, you have a support system of friends, recovery peers, mentors, perhaps a 12-step sponsor, and family. Your support network will know that the holiday is coming and that you will be celebrating in some way. Make sure you know who will be available and willing to take your call at a moment’s notice to offer you the support you need in a moment of need.
Designate an ‘anchor’ person for the holiday:
There are possibly one or two–if not many more–people in your holiday surroundings who are aware of and empathetic toward your recovery. Designate one person to be your ‘anchor’ person during the festivities who can support you in another room or area when you need. You can create a subtle signal to give you a quick reminder of how strong and capable you are in your recovery.
Bring your recovery tools with you:
Everyone attaches to their recovery differently. Some people do so through comfort items, like a blanket, or activities, like coloring books. Whatever helps you get grounded and find a moment of calm, utilize those tools.
Practice gratitude and thankfulness:
Thanksgiving is the holiday for practicing gratitude and thankfulness. When you wake up, find five things you are immediately grateful for. While you engage in your recovery practices throughout the day, find gratitude and thankfulness in those moments. Right before, during, and after the Thanksgiving meal, take a quick moment to find gratitude and give thanks. Though the holiday is triggering and stressful, you are getting through it, in your recovery.
Avoid triggering conversation:
Everyone loves to complain while they indulge. Often, thanksgiving dinner table conversation is not exactly considerate toward those with eating disorders. Triggering words are used, triggering topics are a focal point, and those who are having these conversations are looking for someone to endorse their points. Simply refuse to engage in that conversation, or bring it back to something positive about self-love and self-acceptance. Remember that not everyone is in recovery or aware of what recovery from an eating disorder is like.
Maintain your normal diet plan:
One of the ways people set themselves up for struggle on the holidays is by attempting to restrict before the Thanksgiving meal and then overcompensate during the thanksgiving meal, leading to overeating. Though this method is tempting, it can be dangerous for your recovery. Eat according to your normal diet plan and do not skip meals ahead of time. Check-in with your body during the meal and stop eating when you are comfortably full.
You can live life with confidence. Everyone has a story before they come to treatment. When you arrive at The Guest House Ocala, you arrive to open, welcoming arms. Our treatment programs are customized concierge style to meet your every unique need in order to heal from trauma, addictions, and other related mental health issues. Call us today for information on life at the estate: 1-855-483-7800