How Long Does it Take to Recover from Bulimia or Anorexia? Part I

       This is a reasonable question I'm often asked.  Not only can I not provide a specific time, but also I can't guarantee that someone will indeed recover.  And I certainly can't give the answer so many people want, which is days or a weekend or at most, a quick stay in a residential program.
 
       The question is complex with a different answer for every individual. 

       If you are still reading after this undesirable news, please let me talk a little about eating disorders and recovery.

       People develop eating disorders for a reason. Eating disorders help a person cope with living when the person has not developed other ways to successfully take care of herself. 

       Healing has to do with developing a competent, mature and aware sense of self and awareness in the world.  It has to do with restarting stalled emotional development so that the person can take care of herself realistically in the face of simple and complex life challenges.

       How long does it take to accomplish the required developmental tasks?  A substantial period of time from several years to many years, depending on the challenges of each individual.

       But please don’t despair at the thought of the time involved.  Recovery is a process. As you move through time and stages of recovery, you reap benefits as you go.  Your life improves as you gain more health.

       During the healing work, yes, you will need courage to face your pain.  But you will also experience joy as you discover the authentic worthwhile you.

       I’ll write more about the recovery process in my next post.

Joanna Poppink, MFT, psychotherapist eating disorder specialist, Los Angeles, CA bulimia, anorexia, compulsive overeating recovery, www.poppink.com

Comments

[HoneyBee]

Thank you for touching on the recovery process of those trying to overcome eating disorders. After following the Kimkins diet I am having to relearn my relationship with food. I look forward to following your entries on this topic.
Regards,
HB
HoneyBee’s Blog (http://honeybeesblog.wordpress.com)
I Am Not Ready To Make Nice with Kimkins (http://notmakingnicetokimkins.blogspot.com)

[Joanna Poppink, LMFT]

Dear HoneyBee,

Welcome to my blog. I'm glad to know you are getting free of Kimkins and still in search of ways to help yourself be healthy.

Sometimes it's difficult to make a healthy choice when unethical people aim straight at a person's vulnerabilities.

I like the title of the blog you posted under your personal blog. I'll check it out.

Getting in touch with your anger and still working to take care of yourself well sounds like you are on the right track!

By all means post again, and let me and the readers of this blog know how you are doing.

warm regards,

Joanna