Approaching Fall Holidays While in Eating Disorder Recovery
Written by Tiffany Lepa, NCC, LPC-Associate
You don’t have to venture into a haunted house to get scared this Halloween. Listen to this chilling true story: Eating disorders have the second highest mortality rate of mental health disorders. They can cause physical, mental, and social harm. But the real monster? It’s diet culture. Yet society and disordered thoughts around eating and bodies may convince us that food is the villain. We are here to challenge that so that you can enjoy Halloween and other fall holidays this year.
Removing Morality + Judgement From Food Choices
Sweets are often a “fear food” and villainized by society. They get categorized as “bad” or “junk” or “unhealthy”. But here’s the truth: No food is bad. No food is evil. Foods are neutral and do not have any moral significance. All foods are on the table, and eating serves more purpose than how it could impact how our bodies look. Social connection, honoring cultures, and enjoying the taste of food are all fabulous reasons to eat!
When we label foods, we label ourselves. For example, let’s say you’re at a gathering with friends. You spot some very cute frosted pumpkin-shaped sugar cookies that one of your friends spent time baking and decorating. The disordered diet culture mind might be thinking “That looks good but I know it’s bad for me. I’ll head to the veggie tray instead.” With this mindset, if a cookie equals bad and you consume the cookie, you are bad too.
A recovery-oriented mind may reframe the thought by saying, “Ooh, those look good, and I’m hungry for a sweet, so I’m going to eat it! And I’m going to tell my friend how talented they are!” It was just a cookie, a sweet food, nothing malignant. You’re with a good group of friends, and you know your friend put a lot of thought and joy into making that cookie. See the difference?
Tricks for Enjoying Treats in Eating Disorder Recovery
1. Notice + Honor Your Hunger Cues:
During the holiday season, it’s easier (and normalized) to ignore hunger cues. You might find yourself wanting to “save up” for “indulging” on treats later in the day if you’re headed to a party, so you skip breakfast and ignore your grumbling tummy. This, unfortunately, leads to mind and body disconnection, which is foundational in recovery! Instead of falling into this cycle, listen to and honor your hunger cues. Continue to eat all your meals, regardless of what you’re doing later in the day. This will prevent a “last supper” mentality when faced with holiday goodies, and you’ll be more likely to enjoy your favorite treats by eating intuitively and to satisfaction rather than to an uncomfortable fullness which not only feels yucky physically but can lead to unhelpful and negative thoughts towards yourself and towards food.
Take a peek at the hunger + fullness cues graphic for more information. We highly recommend working with an eating disorder therapist and dietitian if you are not already!
2. Practice Self-Compassion
You’ve probably heard it many times before, but recovery is not linear. It makes sense to be having more disordered thoughts when exposed to more novel experiences during the fall holidays, like festivals and parties that take you out of your comfort zone. You may notice the “food police” showing up a little more frequently, leading to guilt and shame around food choices. Halloween and fall celebrations are an opportunity to challenge those unhelpful thoughts, break past cycles of disordered eating, and show yourself compassion rather than shame.
3. Make Time For Other Festive Activities + Coping Tools
A lovely part of recovery is being able to free up your mind from thinking about food all the time! It is important to make time to continue to do the things you enjoy and that fill your cup. Make a list of festive things you’d like to do such as watching scary movies, visiting a pumpkin patch, decorating your home, going for a walk or a hike to enjoy the cooler weather (now that it’s not 100+ degrees in Texas), carving pumpkins, attending a sporting event, reading a spine-tingling novel, trying out a new recipe, or grabbing a hot drink with friends. Even if things get busy and packed with social events and obligations, take time to continue using coping skills that work for you, like journaling, creating art, spending time with pets, or meditation + breathing exercises.
3. Lean Into Your Systems of Support
Systems of support are essential to recovery! Try your best to continue consistently attending therapy and dietitian appointments, going to virtual or in-person support groups, and being open and honest with friends and family when you’re needing additional support. Remember, it’s okay to ask for help, and emotions and triggers may come up this time of year.
Are you curious about examining your relationship with food? Our skilled team of eating disorder therapists in Austin, TX are ready to support you! Contact us for a free 15-minute consultation to start healing your relationship with food and your body.
