Regardless of the nature of your eating disorder you need to develop a sense of secure abundance. That will help you to take care of yourself and move through this economic crisis. How is this possible when so much bad news frightens you and so many people on a regular basis these days? How is it possible to feel abundance when your finances are draining away and you experience imminent or real loss of what is precious to you?
Eating disorder response to down economy An article in Pioneer Press by Jeremy Olson discusses the temptation of skipping meals to save money. If you are anorexic food deprivation as an answer to a stressful financial situation can only recharge anorexia symptoms.
However, if you suffer from bulimia or compulsive overeating, you eat to cope with stress. When money is tight, supporting a binge eating lifestyle becomes increasingly difficult. Your sense of scarcity may serve as a trigger to steal food. Snacking from shelves and bins in grocery stores without paying becomes more of a temptation when your wallet is thin and your income decreasing.
Turn your heart and mind to a positive response I invite you to explore creative and realistic ways of shoring yourself up emotionally and practically during this time of fear. Some of what you valued and held precious is gone. Some of what you thought would always support you is gone.
What isn’t gone? Look at your life. See who and what is still in your life. Possibilities:
- health – if you’ve got it
- energy – if you’ve got it
- love – if you’ve got it
- friends – if you’ve got them
- skills – if you’ve got them
- talents (practiced or not) if you’ve got them
- imagination
- dreams
- education
- access to education
- libraries
- museums
- parks
- your religion, personal faith, spiritual life
- religious/spiritual community
It’s a rare person today who is not experiencing loss of some kind. And yes, we need to acknowledge and grieve our losses. We may need to rage before we allow ourselves to feel our sorrow. But, before fear sets in, we also need to look at what we still have and how we can create something new with what we’ve got. Please share your challenges and how you are meeting them. We all can benefit from building on each other’s positive attitudes. Eating disorder behaviors can’t compare with the effectiveness of shared strength and creativity. How are you using what you have to care for yourself and build your life?
Add comment