Topic Tuesday: Quarantine

“What To Do During A Shelter-In-Place Order Or When You Are Self-Quarantining” (By: Blair Thompson, RD)

I created a helpful list that you can do to support yourself in recovery. It’s no lie that the past couple of months have been difficult, and many people are struggling in the mental health and eating disorder recovery community.

We have been told to physical distance and then now we are supposed to be social distancing ourselves from others. This time can be isolating and lonely. This is the time to learn new skills to put in your recovery tool box. I love creating lists and finding new activities that can help me move forward in my recovery.

Here are 3 things you can do to help support yourself though recovery:

1. Consider downloading or buying the Health at Every Size book by Lindo Bacon formally known as Linda Bacon.
2. Consider utilizing telehealth services. For real, it may be strange at first, but doing therapy from the comfort of your home is one of the best feelings. Plus, dietitians are able to telehealth right now!
3. Consider downloading or buying the Intuitive Eating book and work book.

The Health at Every Size book is a great book to start reading if you are struggle with the idea of gaining weight in recovery. The HAES® book saved me, I struggled with compulsive exercising and anorexia for a long time and I would always say that “I am doing this for my health.” I was afraid of gaining weight because our society makes it seem like gaining weight is the worst thing a human can do and that is far from the truth. It is really important to be open minded with your recovery process. If you are interested in taking a step to heal your relationship with food and your body, I suggest reading the HAES® book.

I am not new to telehealth but many people have stopped going to therapy because they are afraid to try something new. Telehealth is not bad; it may feel different at first, but it opens a new door to being vulnerable with your therapist or dietitian from the comfort of your home. You can also wear your PJs if you want to! I normally take a shower and put on my PJs and hop on to the computer after work for my therapy sessions via telehealth. I hope in the future more people are able to utilize the telehealth services that many therapists offer.

Lastly, I suggest readying the Intuitive Eating (IE) book and work book. Talk about life changing books, these two books have helped me understand why it is important to let go of dieting and why it is important to put weight and weight loss on the back burner. Again, it is important to keep an open mind, especially during this time.

There is a lot of uncertainty right now and that is okay. I know we tend to go back to old patterns when we are unable to control things in our life, and that is okay. If you are struggling and have time to read and learn then I suggested buying the HAES® and IE book and work book via online or downloading it. Set some time to read a little bit at a time, it can be overwhelming at first. You can also talk about the books with your therapist or dietitian if you are able to utilize a telehealth service. Many therapists and dietitians are offering their services at a lower fee and some places are offering free therapy for health care providers.