Eating Disorder Recovery: How One Woman Found Freedom

I went on my first diet in 2000. I lost a lot of weight but grew disturbingly obsessed with food and dropping even more weight. I stopped going out, I lost friends, I refused to eat out at restaurants and my weight plummeted to a new low where I lost my period and had to be hospitalized.

My Eating Disorder Recovery Story

by Nina

The years that followed saw my diet and weight loss obsession increase, but I started to lose the control I once had. Binge eating started - first it was a monthly one day off, and then increased to a weekly "treat." Eventually it was a daily happening that I had no control over. I gained a massive amount of weight and was unable to stay on any diet that I tried.

Desperate for Eating Disorder Recovery

My personal rock bottom was knowing that I would die if I continued to live this way. I knew that there would be no way I could have a child, a relationship, a job, or care about anything other than food and my weight.

I wanted to live - to be able to enjoy life, to go out, to travel, to have a relationship without constant thoughts of what I was and wasn't going to eat, how much weight I was planning to lose and calculating how many hours I would need to spend at the gym to burn off the excess calories.

How I Found Recovery from an Eating Disorder

• I saw therapists.
• I talked about about my circumstances in support groups.
• I wrote in a journal.
• I learned to meditate.
• I asked for help when needed.

I also had to move away from the dieting mentality and towards health. I knew that every time I tried to heavily restrict my eating, the result was more binge eating and self-hatred. I had to change my relationship with food, to view it as non-threatening and to trust my internal hunger signals.

I now consider myself recovered from eating disorders and a healthy, intuitive eater. I eat food that I actually like, I have a healthy body, and I exercise because it makes me feel amazing.

I hope to help others who are struggling by passing on the message that complete eating disorder recovery is possible. I was always trying to find someone who had been through the same hell as me and had recovered to a point where they had a healthy relationship with food, no longer obsessed and controlled by it. I do live this way and I hope to reach others who are struggling and let them know that they can too - there is a way out.

Video on Eating Disorder Recovery

Unfortunately our eating disorder recovery video interview with Nina is no longer available. Visit I Fully Recovered from Anorexia and Bulimia for alternate videos. Visit Nina's website for more about her experiences with eating disorders and recovery.

Share Your Eating Disorder Experiences

Have you been diagnosed with an eating disorder? Share your experiences and insights in the comments below.