None of us are born with the ideas of “fat” or “skinny”, “beautiful” or “ugly”, “better” or “worse”. Our ideals regarding body image and self-worth come from the world we are brought up in, from the way our parents talk about their own bodies to the messages created by the media we consume by the thousands every single day. The same goes for the food we eat, the activities we physically participate in, and the relationship we build between ourselves, our bodies, our food, and our lives. When we consume too many of the wrong messages, we make them our own. Our harmful messages may not be direct. Commonly, we develop a message about our bodies and ourselves, as well as our relationship to food, from trauma. Trauma can be any kind of event in our lives which negatively influences the way we see ourselves. If our trauma involves our body or impacts the way we think about our relationship to our bodies and ourselves, they spin out of control and lead to damaging, destructive behavioral patterns like eating disorders.
Eating disorders are immensely complex mental illnesses which require equally complex treatment to resolve in a sustainable and successful way. Among the mental illnesses with the highest rates of fatality, eating disorders are one of the most important disorders to treat. Too often, eating disorders are treated at a surface level only without investigating the origins of trauma which contributed to a volatile relationship someone has with themselves.
Unlike a substance addiction, someone with an eating disorder cannot just give up their body or eating food entirely. Living in recovery from an eating disorder means finding an entirely new way of living in relationship to some of the most important parts of life. Immersing oneself back into the reality of food and body can be challenging, which is why eating disorder relapse rates are extremely high. By targeting and resolving the traumatic experiences which shape the narratives of eating disorders, individuals in recovery can find healing and transformation in their lives while stopping the revolving process of relapse.
Learning to be is part of the process of trauma recovery. Stop the cycle of merry-go-round treatment and find the solution you’re looking for in trauma treatment. Through effective residential treatment, Khiron House helps you find the path you need toward health and wellness in recovery. For information, call us today. UK: 020 3811 2575 (24 hours). USA: (866) 801 6184 (24 hours).
