Overcoming Eating Disorder Challenges During the Holidays
It seems like the holiday season is completely centered around food and eating. The holiday season kicks off with Halloween, a holiday filled with candy, caramel apples, and sweet ciders. Then we move into Thanksgiving, an even more extensive food holiday. Every food imaginable is set in front of you, with plenty to spare. And then comes Christmas, where the eggnog and cookies seem to be endless. By the time New Years rolls around and you head out for an evening full of eating and drinking, you are usually at your breaking point and about ready to swear off food all together. This is typical of anyone during the holiday season, let alone if you have an Eating Disorder. There are many eating disorder challenges during the holidays. When the holidays are filled with food it can often cause your stress level and anxieties to sky rocket, potentially leading to eating disorders.
30 Million Victims of Eating Disorders
According to NEDA, in the United States alone, 20 million women and 10 million men struggle with an eating disorder at some point in their life. For those 30 million individuals, eating disorder challenges can be hard to deal with. Here are some helpful ways to help you deal with eating disorder challenges during the holidays:
- Keep the spirit of the season in mind
- Try to focus on and remember what the season is all about; family, friends, love, and support. Although many holiday activities may revolve around food, remember that more than anything is it a time to spend with the people who care about you the most.
- Use your coping skills
- Make a set list of coping skills to utilize during times of high anxiety or struggle, this will help you feel better prepared should the holidays become a challenging time for you
- Ask for support
- Make sure to ask your loved ones for support when you need it. People in your life that care about you want to be there to help you out in your times of struggle. If you are dealing with eating disorder challenges during the holiday reach out and ask someone for help.
What the Holidays Are Truly About
Always try to remember what the holiday season is truly about, and know that the holiday season is only temporary and will not last forever. When January rolls around, and everything settles back in, it will be a good feeling to know that you were able to overcome your eating disorder challenges during the holidays and that you are on your continued path to recovery.