If you suffer from an eating disorder you will know only too well what a lonely and isolating affair it is. As the disease progressively gets worse and worse most people retreat into their own little world that feels safe and secure. The last thing they ever want to do is face people and admit how their life really is. However if you want to recover, a support group is one of the best things you can do to assist you in your recovery.
You might wonder why support groups are so effective if they are full of people who are trying to find recovery from an eating disorder. The reason these groups work so well is that everyone is the room actually understands what it is like to be in the grips of an eating disorder. When you talk about your weight obsession or bingeing on umpteen carrier bags of food they know exactly what you mean. They don’t look back at you with that blank look which shows that they have no idea what you are talking about.
Obviously there are different types of meetings and not all have people with strong recovery. Try to find a local meeting where you hear hope. If you hear people sharing about their recovery and how far they have come, you know that you are in the right place. If you don’t know what support groups are in your local area try phoning your Doctor’s surgery and ask them to direct you.
There is an international support group called Overeaters Anonymous http://www.oa.org where you can find meetings all around the world. These meetings are 12 step meetings which are based on the Alcoholics Anonymous programme of recovery. People share their experience, strength and hope.
Within your support group you will find people from all walks of life. Many strong friendships are formed because you are able to really be yourself. You don’t have to pretend what life should be like, but can share it exactly the way it is at that moment in time. People don’t judge you; they love you back to health, until you are able to love yourself once more. When you are struggling, people will phone you to see how you are doing. They will offer words of wisdom, reflecting upon how they have handled different situations to find recovery.
Attending a support group is one of the best things you can do for yourself. Share your journey of recovery with people who understand you. There will be aspects of your recovery where you might need to turn to someone who is professionally trained to help you. You will find that many people who attend a support group also have regular counselling to help them into recovery and to deal with issues that arise as they walk the recovery pathway.
I’ve never heard anyone say that recovery was easy; however so many people say they would never go back to the depths of despair. They also say it was worth all the hard work. To be supported by a group of people who will become firm friends can be a life saving change.
If you are suffering from an eating disorder, don’t wait any longer, go now and find out where your nearest group is.
