The eating disorder lies and the ED voice is LOUD and STRONG. When you hear this voice, you don’t question it. Eating disorder lies are sneaky and trick you into thinking YOU created these thoughts. The truth is that ED lies are unoriginal and easy to recognize.
If you’ve heard one of these ED lies, you’re not alone. You may have even thought one of these lies was a truth; the eating disorder voice can be powerful and convincing. It’s time to call these lies out and recognize them for what they are.
Top 3 Eating Disorder Lies
Lie #1: “It’s not that bad.”
LIE: I’m not super underweight or overweight. I’m going to school or working part-time. I only having behaviors x times per week and I manage just fine.
TRUTH: If you have an eating disorder, it IS that bad. The disorder is stealing love and connection from your life. It’s stealing your relationships. Your potential and your dreams. Most of all, it is consuming your thoughts and changing your relationship with your body and food and exercise.
Life was not designed so that we overthink every aspect of our lives and live in our heads. Life was designed to be LIVED. Don’t let eating disorder lies tell you otherwise.
Lie #2: “Now is not a good time.”
LIE: I have a paper due in a month. We’re moving soon, so maybe after that I’ll find a treatment team. I’m taking a vacation soon so it doesn’t really make sense to start recovery now. The eating disorder will stop after I get into grad school. I’ll wait until I change jobs. After I get married. I can’t afford it.
TRUTH: ED has packaged this lie up in a pretty package with lots of bows. Inside is a big LIE. Every minute you put off recovery, ED wins. ED convinces us that now isn’t a good time because it allows the eating disorder to tighten its grip.
There will always be SOMETHING. Some excuse to put recovery off. ED will make sure of it. The truth is that you can’t afford NOT to recover now.
Lie #3: “Recovery isn’t possible.”
LIE: I’ll always have the eating disorder so why should I even try? I’m in control with the eating disorder and without it I won’t be accepted. I’d rather stay with the eating disorder because I don’t want to fail. It’s easier to just go to appointments every week and manage the disorder. I am too scared of what I’ll look like without the eating disorder.
TRUTH: Recovery is possible. FREEDOM is possible. I understand why you don’t believe it; you haven’t experienced it yet. Even though you haven’t seen it, could it still be possible?
Have you seen others find freedom? If there’s an ounce of you that believes it’s possible for others, then it IS possible for you too. Of course it’s scary to feel fear around who you’ll be without ED and to feel fear around failing.
Fear is a good thing. FEAR is a sign we need to move towards what we are scared of. Move into it and don’t believe these ED lies.
Eating disorder lies are unoriginal
Keep going. Keep fighting. Recognize these eating disorder lies and give them the finger. Everyone with an eating disorder hears these lies. ED is not original; ED is boring and spouts the same lies over and over. You’re smarter and braver than ED. Show ED who YOU are.
Our thoughts create our reality. At the least, we need to recognize them and the ED lies. At the most, we need to shift or stop them.
I love this piece on how we can have control over our thoughts and the power that can have.
As you start to recognize the eating disorder lies, do the opposite. The eating disorder’s voice will get weaker. YOURS will get stronger.