Writing a book about eating disorder recovery seems to parallel the recovery journey itself.

Conari Press liked my book proposal and so did I.  Now that I'm actually working on the book I feel that the proposal left out the heart and soul of recovery work.  I'm rethinking and rewriting and expanding my overall plan so I have a work that integrates tasks, thinking, behaviors and heart and soul.

Well, that's the task of recovering from an eating disorder too. So I believe I'm on the right track.  At least I'm on my track.

It would be so simple if we could just follow a list of tasks or exercises in a tidy order and reach our recovery.  But anyone who has attempted this knows that it rarely works.  You may get some real benefits from the tasks, but the eating disorder will still flare.

The logical work and the following of a treatment course needs to be integrated with heart and soul. Before that can happen we have to recognize, value and honor heart and soul.  Before we can do that we may need some non integrated behavioral recovery.

For sustained and thorough recovery we need our minds clear so we can honor our deepest self. Eating disorder behavior distorts thinking.  We need our deepest self to bring up our courage and life force.  Eating disorder behavior blocks our access to our deep self.

So we can't focus on one or the other.  Eating disorder recovery happens when we honor all aspects of ourselves and work to integrate as much as possible.

That's what I'm trying to do with this book too. This process mirrors recovery work.

In terms of mind/behavior and heart/soul have you had experience working on one but not the other?  How did it turn out for you? Have you been able to integrate?