QUESTION: can i really recover a 13 year eating disorder? What about the damage dome to my body after all those years......teeth, organs.....so on.

ANSWER: It is my belief that our bodies are incredibly resilient – even the concentration camp victims during the Holocaust, who endured the harshest of circumstances, exhibited amazing recuperative powers once released.

Having said that, however, it is important to realize that even the strongest physical body can only endure so much. So what ‘recovery’ looks like for you may not be the same as what recovery looks like for someone with less severe or long-term disordered eating behaviors.

For instance, I endured fifteen years of anorexia and bulimia and I am relatively healthy today. However, I have some lingering issues that have not yet been resolved – my immune system is not what it once was, and now I am much more susceptible to illness than before I was my eating disorder began. My ligaments and tendons are permanently weakened from years of malnutrition, and I have to be careful when playing my instruments or writing. And yet, this is still ‘recovery’ for me. And the longer I am in recovery, the stronger I get. So I believe there is still more progress to be made to strengthen my health even further.

Not knowing the level of damage your body has sustained, only your medical doctor can give you a firm answer to your question. And yet, even the most accomplished medical professionals may not be able to factor in the power of positive thinking and determination to overcome damage that has been done. The mind is a largely untapped source of recuperative powers.

All that to say that, yes, I believe it is possible to recover, but the definition of ‘recovery’ will look different for each one of us who does so. I do maintain that if you have the courage to ask a tough question like this, you have the courage to strive for the very highest level of recovery you are capable of – and only you know what that is.

Thank you for writing – and keep fighting! You may not be able to entirely undo past damage, but you DO have the power to prevent any more – take that power and USE it!

Warmly, and with HOPE,

Shannon

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