When you have cancer, you usually seek chemotherapy or other treatment options because your life is in danger.
But when you have depression, shame may keep you from seeking help. You may not be in any immediate physical danger, but the illness is serious nonetheless.
With an eating disorder, it is likely that your physical health is being jeopardized. However, the stigma attached to mental illness, combined with the reluctance to face the fact that you are hurting your body and your unwillingness to stop your way current way of life, may keep you from ever seeking treatment.
This is a normal response to the idea of getting help for your eating disorder. If everyone was jumping at the chance to go to treatment, the illness wouldn’t be so hard to treat. But many people have to hit rock bottom or face serious consequences in their lives before they agree to seek help.
Maybe you’re not there yet, or maybe you are. Maybe a part of you is so tired of the endless struggle and wants to get out of the cycle. Maybe you are researching treatment providers and options but haven’t made the call yet. Here are some fears that may be holding you back and how you can combat them:
Fear of change
Maybe you are worried that if you do schedule an appointment, your life will be turned upside down, and that you will no longer have the eating disorder behaviors you have relied upon to get through the stress of day to day life. Those are valid worries because the reality is, your life will be changed. The goal of recovery is to replace eating disorder behaviors with healthy, non-destructive coping mechanisms.
Time Commitment and Cost of Treatment
Then you might think about the time, cost, and effort that would go into actually trying to change these habits. It’s going to be hard work, but it’s going to be worth it. Organizations like Project HEAL can offer grant funding to help you cover the cost of treatment, so if there is a will, there is a way to afford the help you need.
“I’m not ready.”
You may even doubt you are ready to start treatment. There is no “good time”, but now is the right time because you have struggled alone for too long. The saying “If you wait until you are ready, you’ll be waiting for the rest of your life,” applies in this case. No one really ever feels fully prepared to work towards recovery.
“I’m not sick enough for treatment.”
If you are concerned that you aren’t “sick enough,” know that you deserve help because you are struggling. You don’t have to reach a certain point to start your healing journey. You don’t have to be at a certain weight. If your mind is tormenting you, it doesn’t matter how your body looks.
All of these fears are completely normal. If you are reluctant to go to treatment for your eating disorder, think of it as a means to an end. It’s not going to make you feel better right away (it may even make you feel worse at first), but it will help you get your life back and secure a happy, healthy future for yourself. As millions and millions of recovered people will tell you, recovery is worth it. Life is so much better when you aren’t obsessing about food and your body.
If you are located in California, you can call us for a 15-minute consultation. For all other states, check out our blog on finding online eating disorder therapy.
