America is stuck between a rock and a hard place. On one end, we’re battling a global health crisis that shows no signs of slowing down. On the other end, we’re facing a racial pandemic that’s bringing decades of silent frustration and outrage to the streets. That being said, you’re still standing strong.
You had started with binge eating disorder (BED) treatment way before the pandemic erupted. You might feel like all the efforts that you, your family and friends, and your therapist put in is going to waste. But it’s not. Your determination to move forward and heal from your condition is a testament to how strong you are, regardless of the physical distancing, social injustice, and other factors that stand in your way.
Here are some important reminders that could help you on your journey to recovery:
Accept Your Coping Mechanism, But Be Aware of Your Limitations
Life in the time of COVID-19 and social unrest is tumultuous. There’s no other way to put it. You’re told to stay at home and observe physical distancing. You see social injustice and political turmoil across the country. Given everything that’s happening, you just have to do what you can to cope with it.
Food brings comfort to a lot of people. When you’re anxious or sad, you’ll find that indulging in your favorite snacks makes you feel better. You might be on a BED recovery program, but don’t let that stop you from coping with the situation and seeking comfort in your favorite food.
Be gentle with yourself. The point of BED treatment is to stabilize your eating habits, not deprive you of what you want. Talk to your therapist and nutritionist about it. Ask them how you can find a middle ground where you take comfort in food and still stay on track with your recovery.
Acknowledge How Far You’ve Come and Keep Moving Forward
Your road to recovery from BED, uncertain yet hopeful, is a lot like the road that recent high school and college graduates are experiencing. The seven members of BTS shared their own advice to this year’s graduates during YouTube’s Dear Class of 2020 commencement exercise.
You might do well to keep the eldest member Jin’s advice in mind, too.
“Sometimes, I’d feel restless watching my friends go on far ahead of me.” Jin opened up about feeling like he’s always falling behind. But he realized that each person has their own pace. So he promised himself to take it slow. “Allow yourself to take it easy. Take it one step at a time.”
The Korean boy group’s resident tough guy Suga follows this up by gently reminding viewers to “take your hands off of what you can’t control and get your hands on what you can change.”
Take a look at how far you’ve come since you first stepped into the doors of your BED treatment center. Acknowledge the fact that you want to be better and that you’re actually putting in the effort to get better.
Nobody can tell you when you will fully recover. You just have to take it day by day and focus on the little things you can improve on. Then one day you’ll realize that you’ve healed through those little things.
