You’ve been away at college, enjoying your new independence and semi-adulthood. Now you’re back for winter break and somehow, it’s as if you never left. Mom and/or Dad still act like you are a child. They’re concerned about your eating disorder recovery even though you’ve been handling it on your own at college for months now. Maybe they’ve gone right back into helicopter parent mode.
You don’t need them nagging you about what you’re eating or acting like they know what is best for you when it’s your recovery. Despite all the time apart, you find yourself falling right back into the parent-child dynamic, and it leaves you feeling frustrated, small, and weak. It can happen to all of us, no matter how long we’ve lived away from home.
On top of this, your daily routine is gone. There’s no more going to the dining hall or throwing together meals and snacks in your dorm. Without classes, you don’t need to wake up as early and you have access to food around the clock. You miss the structure of school and aren’t sure how to stick to your treatment plan without it.
Change is hard, but eating disorder recovery is all about learning flexibility. Maintain your independence and recovery while at home with these pointers.
Set Boundaries
Parents will be parents, but you can assert yourself when they become overbearing. You may choose to set boundaries and ask for what you need to feel safe when sharing information about your recovery, what you ate that day, or how your last appointment went.
To learn more about boundaries, read our blog on Setting Boundaries in Recovery.
Establish a Routine
You’ve just gotten into a routine at school, and now everything is thrown out the window. Going from busy college life to a break at home can make it harder to maintain your recovery. A new sleep schedule and an increase in free time might shift your meal times, and that can create some anxiety. Do yourself a favor and establish a routine at home. When possible, wake up at the same time, go to bed at the same time, and eat your meals at the same time every day.
Do Your Own Grocery Shopping
It would be nice to catch a break and just raid your family fridge, but you just spent the semester eating in the dining hall and making your own food choices. Recreating your food routine at home as much as possible will help you stick with recovery. Be involved in creating the grocery list, or do the grocery shopping yourself.
Make Time For Yourself
In between family obligations and events, make sure you have some time that’s just for you. Maybe there’s a friend in your hometown you can grab coffee with or some places you missed while you were away at college.
Stay Accountable
Your therapy and dietitian appointments as well as primary care visits might look different while you’re at home, so staying on track with recovery can get tricky. Maintain accountability with RecoveryRecord (even if your treatment team doesn’t require you to use it.) The app has a food diary and feelings log you can use to check in with yourself each day.
Start Online Eating Disorder Therapy in Los Angeles, CA
Our eating disorder therapists in California work with busy college students and high school students transitioning to college through online therapy and nutrition counseling. Your Kindful Body therapist will help you develop healthier coping strategies to navigate life’s stressors and support you in healing the underlying issues that caused your obsession to spiral out of control. With time you will learn to stop obsessing about food and your body, gain a better understanding of yourself, and develop more confidence to take on life’s challenges.
Our offices are located throughout California via online therapy. These areas include San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Santa Barbara, and Palo Alto. If you’re ready to make peace with food, your body, and yourself, you’re in the right place. Eating disorder treatment for students in college is just a click away.
Contact us for a free 15-minute video consultation to find out how we can help.
Other Services Offered At Kindful Body
Kindful Body can offer more than just eating disorder counseling. Other mental health services include body image therapy, therapy for binge eating, emotional eating therapy, and eating disorder treatment for college students. Our skilled therapists also offer trauma therapy, therapy for stress and anxiety, relationship counseling, and grief counseling. Learn more about us here!
Stay tuned for more blogs in our college eating disorder series.
Part 1: Navigating Food in College
Part 2: What to Do if You’re Afraid of the Freshman 15
Part 3: Dealing With Perfectionism in College
Part 5: Signs Your College Student is Battling an Eating Disorder
