I had a really good session with my therapist today, and we did an exercise together that I found really helpful. She had me draw a chart with four boxes: the pros and cons of changing (entering recovery) and the pros and cons of not changing (maintaining ED). When she asked me what I liked about ED, at first I said "nothing!". But as I thought about more, I realized there are a lot of things that I do honestly like about it. Recognizing these "benefits", I think, helps me better able to come up with healthier coping mechanisms and helps me to better understand why I ended up here in the first place. Of course, the cons of ED far outweigh the benefits, but it was a really helpful activity that led to a lot of insight for me. Here are my top three benefits I've come up with for not changing: 1. ED manages my anxiety by creating a routine, I know what to expect every day 2. participating in ED behaviors often keeps me from exploring the origins of my anxiety 3. Having control over food, weight, etc. makes me feel more in control over everything else. Top three cons: 1. ED is really negatively affecting my health, and it's getting worse- no period for months, cold, dizzy, weak, etc 2. ED is hurting my relationships- I isolate from family and friends 3. ED is affecting school, internship and my future career because I have lower concentration and I look sick (affects my clients.
I found this activity to be useful. I suggest others try it...what are your top benefits and cons for making changes?
I did this exercise in one of my group therapies! Very helpful!
hey chelsea--great post!
i will tackle this one tomorrow!
love
maureen