A woman suffering from bulimia for three years asks: How long does it take to work the steps and recover from bulimia?

This is such a reasonable question, yet it is not answerable. I remember asking it myself after my first few 12 step meetings.

I thought I could map out the steps, create a schedule, plan my course of action and follow each step to recovery within an allotted time.

My hunch is that those of you reading this who are working your paths to recovery are smiling a rueful smile. Some of you are raising your eyes to the skies and shaking your heads. And some of you, at the beginning of recovery, wonder why this question cannot be answered. 

Recovery from an eating disorder is a private affair based on your as an individual, your unique experiences and your gifts and strengths. Your recovery is affected by the severity of your emotional wounds and the depth of your determination to be well no matter what. Plus you are affected by your environment.  Family, friends and associates may help or hinder you as you face your recovery challenges and disrupt our old status quo.

Your recovery also depends on the amount and quality of healthy and informed support and healing opportunities around you.  Most often  takes five to eight years if you are working steadily with a capable psychotherapist and you are committed to moving through painful emotions, learnng to laugh and be authentic and being honest in your thrapy.

Sometimes recovery takes much longer. But all recovery takes a certain amount of time following the moment you start your recovery efforts. So it's best to start now.

 The good news is that eating disorder recovery doesn't happen all at once at the end of your recovery work. You get better and better as you proceed. Your life gets better. You get stronger, healthier and more capable so you can make better decisions and face your next recovery challenge. If you want help in finding a way to start, please write and share your situation. The most important part of recovery work is to begin.