True Recovery is about Living a Full Life

Since the majority of eating disorders start during adolescence, the illnesses interfere with emotional and psychological development. Just at a time when children begin to learn about their own identity and how to interact with others in a more mature way, those first diagnosed with eating disorders start out their lives devoting energy to treatment.

The time spent in therapy learning about themselves and their emotions actually may land them ahead of the curve of this part of becoming an adult, even if the path is an unusual one. But that’s only the case for the lucky ones who recover quickly.

Others who remain sick and take longer to get well can spend many of their formative years in programs that can help them try to get well but also encourage regression in a setting aimed at recovery and not the personal growth that is the hallmark of adolescence.

The process of treatment over time can inhibit some people from feeling empowered to face the realities of becoming an adult. So much of this time of life is about finding courage to face new, challenging experiences and learning how to manage all different outcomes. For people with eating disorders, the treatment world often becomes too comfortable and transforms into a convenient way to avoid life.

Although treatment needs to provide an environment that is safe and promotes recovery, it also needs to encourage people to engage in their lives and to challenge them to participate in the world. Too often, clinicians recommend opting out of school or work for extended periods of time when there is no evidence that doing so necessarily leads to more complete recovery. For adolescents and young adults, the new world of treatment can quickly become the world they choose and find comfortable. Although treatment is often necessary, decisions about long term help need to take into account the goal of fully reintegrating into that stage of life.

The goal of treatment is not just to quell the eating disorder symptoms and return to full health. The idea is to get right back on life’s path and find a full life again.