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title: Drop Your Veil and Let Your Light Shine
description: Do you dim your light so another won't feel diminished?
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[![400px-The Veiled Lady - Alexander Roslin](https://eatingdisorderrecovery.net/images/400px-The_Veiled_Lady_-_Alexander_Roslin.png)](https://eatingdisorderrecovery.net/images/400px-The_Veiled_Lady_-_Alexander_Roslin.png)

"Don’t let someone dim your light, simply because it’s shining in their eyes." This quote was found on Twitter from La Ventana Treatment Centers.

Drop your veil, and let your light shine.

Often, when women are at the beginning of eating disorder recovery, they have years, maybe a lifetime, of dimming their light so that their gifts don't cause another person to feel diminished.

This way of behaving and living becomes ingrained as a sacrifice for love. A woman can come to believe the loving thing to do is to protect the other from knowledge of her competence or creativity, or brilliance or artistry or brain power or... The person dimming her light may continue the practice until she is lonely, exploited, tired, sad, frustrated without knowing why and...eventually, in the dark.

Hey, if they can't stand the light, let them develop a tolerance for it with practice. Or let them get inspired to develop their own light. Or let them move to the shade while you pursue what you can see in the light.

Be brave, and drop your veil. Your recovery depends on it.

---

**Related Content**

[Pica: The Eating Disorder That's Not About Food](http://www.everydayhealth.com/eating-disorders/pica-eating-disorder.aspx)

[Treating an Eating Disorder Through Equine Therapy](https://www.eatingdisorderhope.com/treatment-for-eating-disorders/therapies/equine-therapy)

---

**Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.**

---

***Written by Joanna Poppink, MFT.** Joanna is a psychotherapist in private practice specializing in eating disorder recovery, stress, PTSD, and adult development.*

*She is licensed in CA, AZ, OR and FL. Author of the Book: [Healing Your Hungry Heart: Recovering from Your Eating Disorder](https://www.amazon.com/Healing-Your-Hungry-Heart-Recovering/dp/1573244708/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1344473529&sr=1-1&keywords=healing+your+hungry+heart)*

*Appointments are virtual.*

*For a free telephone consultation, e-mail her at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.*

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