Last night we had another full house! I am so in awe of all of the members who come and offer each other honesty, support, guidance, and acceptance. To see such full numbers come to group just shows that we all believe in recovery and will not quit until we get it. A theme that surfaced in last night's group was defining who we are in new situations as we walk the path towards recovery from an eating disorder. One member spoke about the opportunity she has been given to re-discover herself in a new work environment. This has brought up many exciting things for her -- and challenges, such as speaking up for her needs with co-workers. Another members spoke of deciding that in her recovery, she is discovering that she needs to remove toxic and triggering influences from her life -- whether they are substances, food, or people. In this quest of self-discovery, this member has had to make challenging choices, but ones that have helped strengthen her belief in who she in recovery.
Another aspect of last night's group that struck me was how strong we are as we battle multiple issues at once. Not often is an eating disorder alone in its impact on our lives. Typically it brings (or tags along with) other issues such as depression, anxiety, and other types of addiction or substance abuse with it. As members struggle with multiple concerns, it becomes all to clear how complex recovery can be. As we focus on one issue, another issue may become more difficult. However, healing from an eating disorder can bring us peace in depression and lessen anxiety, and members reached out to each other in agreement that this is challenging -- but ultimately rewarding.
Eating disorder recovery is not easy. We all know this. However, it is possible to find peace and wellness, and this support group is a vehicle for trying to secure that peace. We will always be there, and we will always offer hope and guidance. We look forward to sharing that experience with you!
Peace and health, Kate
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