When a person is seriously ill with her eating disorder, the people who are close to her were attracted to her and maintain a relationship with her as she lives and responds in life with her eating disorder intact. * Being in harmony with your true self attracts new and more healthy relationships.
Changes in recovery
When you are deep in your eating disorder your friends and associates have a relationship with a sick person. When you start to get well your attitudes, choices and responses change.
- You are more caring and respectful of yourself.
- You resist sacrificing your personal resources (time, money, skills, energy) because you no longer believe that others are more important than you.
- You begin to use your resources to make your own dreams come true, dreams you didn’t know you had because they were buried by the eating disorder.
- You no longer engage is high risk behavior for thrills or because you are going along with everyone else and are numb to your fears.
- You feel.
- You regain your mind.
- You have opinions.
- You have a point of view.
- You matter to yourself.
- You say, "No," where you used to say, "Yes."
Objections to Recovery
The people in your life who were attracted to you with you eating disorder symptoms and, for reasons of their own, are psychologically matched to you based on those symptoms, may object to the change toward health in your life.
They can be ruffled, disappointed and then hurt and angry.
If they can grow themselves and accept your healthy attitudes then the relationships change and grow.
If they cannot grow and adapt, if they need a relationship with a person who goes numb, who says yes, who sacrifices and feels guilty and responsible for other people's needs, then they will grow both resentful and bored.
If you do not go back to how you were when you were ill so the relationship is the same as it ever was, the relationship will fall apart. If you are truly in recovery, you will not or cannot go back to your illness to support people who require a self sacrificing person to fulfill their needs.
Getting Better and Gaining Friends
If this is you now, then just wait and live your life in recovery. People who are attracted to health will be attracted to you.
People who have their own solid self esteem and are willing to be responsible for themselves will become visible to you as you become visible to them.
In recovery and growing health, you have more choices and can have more satisfying relationships based on who you are now.
How have your relationships changed as you move on your recovery path?
*Harmony of Creatures, painted by Margret Hofheinz-Döring
