The Holiday season, sadly, is something that a lot of us associate with stress and anxiety. This association does not apply to everyone; rather, there are people who find this time of year purely magical, and for those people, I am happy on their behalf.
I enjoy the Christmas season, but it is a time of year that be a bit triggering for me regarding my eating disorder history, and anyone with a history of disordered eating will more than likely agree with me in saying the Holidays can prove to be absolutely miserable if you have an unhealthy relationship with food and eating.
I’ve come a damn long way with my own eating habits and perceptions of food, but as I have said many time in my life, I don’t necessarily know if one can entirely recover from an eating disorder. I’ve been in ‘remission’ for over ten years now, and I still struggle daily. I’ve gotten to a point in which I can control my disordered thoughts and habits, but sometimes, my control fails, and this has happened to me in past years at Christmastime.
I think the concept of eating disorders is a truly baffling one to someone who has no experience with them, but please hear me when I say that the Holidays are an immensely difficult time of year for anyone dealing with, in recovery from, or in remission from an eating disorder of any sort. I’m not asking everyone to understand, but rather perhaps be a little more mindful of this happening in your own families and social circles. We all have our battles, and some are a bit more hidden than others.
Don’t be too hard on yourself with eating this Christmas if you are also struggling, and try to remember that your weight nor your eating habits determine your worth or happiness.
Photo by krakenimages on Unsplash
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