Disclaimer: Listed below is a list of things
to do instead of starving, purging, bingeing, over exercising
and other forms of eating disordered activities. Please remember,
that not everything on this list will work for everyone, feel
free to pick and choose. Should you have more items to add to
the list, please e-mail them to me, and I'll be happy to add them.
After all, the more options we have the better our choices of
finding healthy alternatives. Some of these choices are complicated,
and you might want to utilize the help of your therapist or trusted
friend in undertaking them. Recovery is not a process that can
be walked through alone.. please don't be afraid to reach out
for help.
ALTERNATIVES TO EATING DISORDERED BEHAVIOR
Listen to music/relaxation tapes
Make a mourning wreath (start with black flowers and replace
with colored flowers)
Repetitive reality checking (It's April 1997, and I'm going
to be ok)
Negotiate with yourself
Get to know others
Recognize and acknowledge the choices you have NOW
Offer options
Carry tokens to remind you of peaceful comforting things/people
Create and use mental safe places (beach, cabin in the woods,
peaceful mountain)
Get out on your own, get away from the stress
Help someone around you (reach out on a bb, newsgroup, phone
list etc.)
Pay attention to the changes needed to make you feel safe
Count yourself down (10...9...8...7...)
Take a different perspective (different vantage point)
"I'm aware" Repeat 5 things you see, smell, touch,
taste in your present surroundings to help ground you in the present
Pay attention to your breathing (breath slowly, in through
your nose and out through your mouth)
Pay attention to the rhythmic motions of your body (walking,
stretching, etc.)
Move to music
ASK FOR HELP
Ask yourself inside, what YOU need
Make affirmation tapes inside you that are good, kind, gentle
(Sometimes you can do this by writing down the negative thoughts
and then physically re-writing them into positive messages)
Journal
Touch Something familiar/safe
Draw
Put your feet firmly on the floor
Make something (craft, needlework, etc.)
Accept a gift from a friend
Meditate
Make a phone list of people you can call for support. Allow
yourself to use it
Learn HALT signals (hungry, angry, lonely, tired)
Identify what is causing you pain (other than food)
Accept where you are in the process. Beating yourself up,
only makes it worse.
Do something FUN!!!
Take a break from mental processing
Take a SAFE risk
Tear up paper (old phonebooks, newspapers, etc.)
Honor your present anger
Throw ice cubes at the bathtub wall, at a tree, etc.
Give yourself permission to.... (Keep it safe)
Lose the "should-could-have to" words. Try... "What
if"
Choose your way of thinking, try to resist following old thinking
patterns
Put memories in air tight containers with air tight lids
Notice black and white thinking
Connect with others around you. Call a therapist or friend.
Notice "choices" versus "dilemmas"
Keep in touch with others who are fighting the same fight
Check in with yourself and others frequently (try not to isolate)
Make yourself as comfortable as possible (Without using food)
Take a bath or a shower
Color in coloring books
Hold a stuffed animal
Write a poem
Leave the room
Leave the premises
Write a letter, NOT mailed, to the person or problem upsetting
you
Play a musical instrument
Plan regular activities for your most difficult time of day
Call a hotline or support group
Listen to a comedy tape or video
Reality check old messages (Those you supply and those you
hear others tell you)
Clean the house
Get out a fine tooth comb and vigorously brush the fur of
a stuffed animal (but use gentle vigor )
Pull weeds in a garden
Plant flowers
Play with a Pet
Take Your Dog for a walk
I have found that the best way to utilize this list is to
print it out and keep it handy. When the eating disorder urges
hit, we are often easily overwhelmed. This is not the best
time to try and remember what our healthy choices are. If they
are already written out and on hand, all we have to do is read
down the list until we find something safe and helpful. I know
for myself, that worked better than trying to put more pressure
on my already overtaxed mind. Eventually, the choices that worked
best for me became as natural as walking and talking, and I no
longer had to keep the list as near to me.
This list was compiled from various hospitalization experiences,
personal struggles, and many on-line conversations/bulletin board
postings.
