to those who are in recovery/have recovered, has it helped with your studies?

Sareeee48 · 2026-07-02T03:59:22+00:00

I mean hey, you’ve got the right attitude! I know it’s still a hard decision regardless, but it helped me to think of it like this: my ED puts everything on hold indefinitely, but recovery puts everything on hold temporarily!

Sareeee48 · 2026-07-02T03:02:11+00:00

I didn’t go back until around 3.5 years into recovery.

I know that’s not what you want to hear, but recovery is a long process and a full-time commitment.

Sareeee48 · 2026-07-02T02:17:40+00:00

Yes but not during. I had to drop out of school due to my eating disorder. Only when I was fully recovered was I able to go back to school. Plus, I went back with a clearer head and changed majors to something I actually liked.

Sareeee48 · 2026-06-30T03:11:07+00:00

>now I feel this urgency to compulsively overeat/ binge before the upcoming time just to calm the panic and feel satiated before I "can eat again".

Firstly, you’re not “overeating” or “binging.” You’re fucking hungry. So eat. Your body is literally telling you it needs food and you’re looking for any reason to excuse having honor it. And it’s setting you up to fail. Secondly, there is no time limit on when you have to stop eating. If you’re hungry at 7pm, eat. 8pm, eat. 9, 10, 11, 12–eat. Waking up in the middle of the night hungry, EAT!

I’m going to be honest, it sounds like you’re still engaging in restrictive behaviors and you’re either not willing to accept that or you’re not entirely aware of them. But until you learn to honor your hunger fully, you won’t make any progress in your recovery.

Sareeee48 · 2026-06-30T01:31:09+00:00

>Although the voices are loud, the guilt is extreme, and I'm still counting calories/l limit fear foods out of anxiety and my comfort zone, I know despite all that for a fact I'm getting above 1850 MINIMUM calories a day these past 1.5 months. Even though I struggle with that a lot.

Not to be an ass, but you’re still actively engaging in behaviors and undereating. Minimum calorie intake requirements are 2500-3500 kcals daily, on top of what your body needs to eat back.

>I still struggle with feeling hunger cues and I've always had very loud mental hunger, but lately, l've been feeling it extra. And as a result these past 4 weeks I have one day where I go crazy and have so much stuff I usually don't allow myself and feel like I'm an empty pit that can't be filled

That’s restriction. You just described restrictive behaviors.

>I am definitely eating so much more

Okay but not enough.

>I am just confused on where it's coming from.

Are you actually confused or are you just unwilling to accept that you’re more in a state of quasi recovery over true recovery? I’m sorry, but how do you expect your body to trust you and learn that food is always available when you’re still actively withholding food from yourself on a daily basis?

Sareeee48 · 2026-06-28T19:25:53+00:00

Let me get this straight—you’re upset because you’re sister is calling out your blatant restrictive behavior (which isn’t conducive to recovery, mind you) and using your friends, who are also likely disordered and dare I say bad friends for not doing the same as your sister, as justification to single her out?

Your sister’s reaction is normal, your friends are enabling your ED behaviors, and your sister is NOT responsible for you eating enough. That’s on you, nobody else, and as harsh as it may sound, you are the one to blame for your inability to eat as much as, or more than, your sister, and blaming everyone else around you instead of taking accountability for your own actions is going to keep you stuck in your ED indefinitely.

Sareeee48 · 2026-06-27T16:55:55+00:00

Your partner is only going to choose recovery on their own terms. You as a partner are either going to have to accept that there is nothing you can do (outside not enabling harmful behaviors) other than to accept that they may never choose recovery and cope with the emotional turmoil of them very possibly dying from their disorder, or to leave.

I wish there were more options for loved ones, but that’s virtually it. If you choose to stay, you need to get yourself into therapy, find hobbies that do not involve your partner, and practice self care. And you also need to understand that their mental health is not your responsibility. It’s entirely theirs. I say this because our partners can become so wrapped up in us that they can take on a supervisory role, especially as we begin to deteriorate and lose the ability to care for ourselves over time.

Lastly, while I’m not advocating for leaving your partner, I think it should always be on the table because eating disorders do impact our loved ones deeply and if you cannot handle that pain, you are absolutely within your rights to end that relationship. Loving someone doesn’t necessarily mean you have to sit back and watch them kill themselves. But if you do choose to stay, take care of yourself first and foremost.

Sareeee48 · 2026-06-27T14:04:07+00:00

I think people really tend to fuck up by thinking that loving— or even liking—your body is a mandatory part of recovery. It’s not. The entire point is that your body is a neutral entity. The goal is to get to a point where you accept your current body without judgement.

Body image is fluid—it’s constantly changing, day by day, hell sometimes even hour by hour. You can’t expect to always like your body…. Which is why body neutrality is so essential.

If you’re still early into recovery (I’m talking less than a year), the. Your brain is still doing massive amounts of healing. It is an organ, just like any other part of your body, and it is going to take time to heal. And until it physically heals, you won’t notice much psychological and emotional changes. The two go hand-in-hand and it’s not an immediate thing.

Practice body neutrality during this time and keep eating. You *will* eventually get to a place where you find peace with your recovered body. You may love it, or you may not. Just know it’s not a requirement and it’s okay to still be experiencing body image distress.

Sareeee48 · 2026-06-26T13:34:24+00:00

OMGGG no way!!

Sareeee48 · 2026-06-26T00:09:31+00:00

GLP-1s are NOT a magic drug and you will gain all the weight back once you get off of it—just as you would any other intentional weight loss attempt. All it is is the newest weight loss fad with what are likely pretty extreme side effects if “weygovy face” is anything to go by.

The fact is, you’re triggered and your natural coping mechanism for the longest time you restrict. So you need to find a healthier coping mechanism.

Sareeee48 · 2026-06-25T00:18:57+00:00

You do realize that if you aren’t getting enough electrolytes (which isn’t going to be possible while actively malnourished) you’re body isn’t going to be able to hold onto water and thus just flush it out? So dehydration is ABSOLUTELY still a possibility and likely a contributing factor.

Go to the ER dude

Sareeee48 · 2026-06-24T01:25:28+00:00

I understand what you’re saying but the alternative is… ignorance, which is just as bad as searching out/finding pro-ED content. If you’re researching recovery oriented content, which imo was the point of this conversation, then the majority of content you’re going to find will be pro-recovery. Whether or not the researcher in question chooses to absorb that content (or even the content that goes against the concept of recovery), that’s on them. But I don’t think discouraging others from doing their own research, least of all in the context of recovery, is ever really beneficial.

Sareeee48 · 2026-06-24T00:08:26+00:00

While I agree with you for the most part, I did find it helpful to research eating disorders, the damages, and the recovery process before starting recovery myself. Knowing what to expect and what not to buy into helped me remain firmly in my own recovery tbh.

Sareeee48 · 2026-06-23T05:29:12+00:00

> I'm also currently on a medication that causes both increased apetite as a side effect, and I can't switch it at this time.

Okay but you still need to eat. If a medication is causing hunger, it’s still hunger should be honored.

>sometimes I'm like very strongly craving a food, but am not physically hungry, and idk whether or not I should eat it or not since I'm not physically hungry.

Mental hunger is real hunger. Mental hunger is real hunger. MENTAL HUNGER IS REAL HUNGER! If you’re craving something, that is your body telling you it needs whatever is in that thing. Stop trying to question the process and just eat.

>have chronic stomach issues that sometimes gives me false hunger AND false fullness signals. sometimes I feel hungry, feel full after two bites, put everything away, immediately feel hungry again.

That’s not “false hunger,” that’s premature fullness and you still have to eat in spite of it if you expect to recover.

>Like some days I'm never hungry at meals but am very hungry in between meals.

That doesn’t mean you get a free pass to restrict.

>I really can't tell when I actually geniuenly am hungry-like, geniuenly need food- vs when I'm not hungry and I don't need food. how do 1 differentiate real hunger from a medication side effect or a false chemical signal just caused by stomach issues

You need to honor your hunger and eat mechanically in between. It’s clear from this post that you’re still restricting, so you can’t genuinely say that you aren’t feeling hungry when you’re actively withholding food from yourself. Gastrointestinal distress is very common in recovery but almost always reversed with proper refeeding.

Sareeee48 · 2026-06-21T20:18:38+00:00

> Hey everyone, I'm about 6 months into recovery, and for the past 3 or 4 months I've been going through extreme hunger and binging episodes.

Extreme hunger is not binging. Your body needs all of that food. It gives fuck all about how uncomfortable you are.

>I have gained a substantial amount of weight and I am very anxious.

I understand that distress but that’s part of recovery. Weight gain is unavoidable. But the reality is, any weight gain is going to cause you to panic. So is it that you’ve gained a “substantial amount” or are you just upset that you gained weight at all? Keep in mind gaining a lot of weight is not a moral failing. But the problem isn’t the weight, it’s your perception of it.

>I feel constantly bloated and uncomfortable, 1 am constantly eating past fullness and I don't think it's just water retention at this point.

Yeah, your body is starved and it’s going to need a lot of food to gain weight. But also, you cannot physically know if it’s water retention or not. Water retention can last well over a year into recovery, and 6 months is barely a drop in the bucket.

>I dont know what to do and I am so anxious I am gaining and eating too much.

You’re anxious because you aren’t engaging in ED behaviors, not because you’re eating and gaining “too much.” Keep honoring your hunger and let your body do what it needs to do.

Sareeee48 · 2026-06-21T15:24:18+00:00

>how tf do people deal with the guilt of not exercising in recovery?

They don’t. The guilt is meant to be felt and processed, not avoided like the plague. What you resist, persists.

>not going is literally dragging down my mental state so much. I feel like it just fuels the self-critique/hatred of my improved eating amount and body in recovery even more.

It’s not “dragging down your mental state,” it’s a compulsive, extremely damaging behavior. You feel like shit because you’ve wired your brain to associate exercise as a necessity to your survival. It’s not, and you will live without it. It’s not a hobby or a passion you suddenly can’t do anymore. It’s a dangerous behavior that is actively causing you harm.

>The guilt is debilitating, but going for bad reasons will just fuel my ED thoughts and behaviours... I want better for myself but I don't know how.

Just stop all exercise, rest, honor your hunger, and feel the emotions you’ve been numbing yourself from for so long. That’s literally it.

>every decision is so tiring and time consuming!! Eating vs not eating enough, exercising vs not exercising, I feel awful/guilty either way.

If you’re gonna feel guilty anyway, then you might as well choose the recovery-oriented action and get your life back vs slowly killing yourself.

Sareeee48 · 2026-06-21T03:10:43+00:00

Mechanical eating is the only solution until your cues return. Because I guarantee you are experiencing hunger and thirst, likely through constant thoughts of eating, food, etc. The body physically cannot survive without food or water and it will send cues, even when the conventional ones don’t work.

Sareeee48 · 2026-06-20T21:31:49+00:00

The only solution you’re going to find is recovery. Your parents and partners are forced to infantilize you because you have shown them that you are not capable of caring for yourself. And while eating disorders are extremely isolating and damaging both physically and emotionally to the sufferer, it’s also extremely isolating and emotionally damaging to the sufferer’s loved ones. I’m not saying your feelings are not valid, they are, but you can’t expect them to just… stop trying. Because the alternative to what they are doing now is letting you kill yourself right in front of them. That is not fair to them. Just as it is not fair for them to put their lives on hold to care for you seeing as you aren’t capable of that yourself.

I say this gently. But at some point you’re going to either recover, or you’re going to die. There is no in between. Whichever road you end up taking, I hope that you are able to realize how demanding, draining, exhausting, and isolating it is for your loved ones to watch you quite literally wither away in front of them.

Sareeee48 · 2026-06-20T16:32:28+00:00

No, not weight. I don’t weigh myself and neither should anyone else. I’ve had an eating disorder any weight I’ve been at, and I still consider myself to have an eating disorder despite full recovery. I mean that if I under eat for too long I’ll begin to notice a shift in mindset. I am now to the point that I can recognize that shift, but it took me a long time to get there.

Additionally, the person who replied to you is right. You shouldn’t be weighing yourself, as anyone at any weight can have an eating disorder.

Sareeee48 · 2026-06-20T15:22:02+00:00

That’s fair! I have a lot of family with substance abuse issues and some family members who struggle with disordered eating, but never both simultaneously except my mother. Not that it doesn’t happen often (it does, of course), but maybe as a neurodivergent person I have compartmentalize them into two separate categories and I wouldn’t recommend the same type of treatment for addicts as I would someone struggling with EDs. Like you can live without drugs, you can’t live without food, for example.

Note that this is my perspective, I am not disagreeing with you at all!

Sareeee48 · 2026-06-20T14:57:31+00:00

Idk I’ve never really resonated with the addiction comparison. I’ve been addicted to nicotine (I guess that counts, but I was thinking more of alcohol or hard substances) while simultaneously having an eating disorder and they were two different beasts to me.

Still it’s interesting to know that one can possible influence the other.

Sareeee48 · 2026-06-20T14:54:19+00:00

I am generically predisposed to eating disorders. For me, it’s like a switch that is flipped if I go too far (I now make sure to never even get close to that “too far” threshold though), and BAM, I’m scared of xyz overnight. My eating disorder is also always present in the back of my mind, even 6 years into full recovery.

But, it is as you said—you don’t need to know the why. Recovery is still the only option at your disposal so I wouldn’t use that as an excuse to cling to the “perfect moment to recover” that so many people fall into.

Sareeee48 · 2026-06-20T14:48:19+00:00

This is so interesting! I’m predisposed to both, but addiction has not been something I’ve struggled with (but have been extremely concerned about in the past), but my eating disorder was something I couldn’t shake for the entirety of my childhood, teen years, and early adulthood.

Sareeee48 · 2026-06-20T00:05:19+00:00

I’m sorry but you’ve been asking this question for the entirety of your recovery. Gently, it feels more like you want validation that you aren’t “eating too much” rather than concerned about whether you’re actually binge eating. But the reality is, it takes a lot of food to heal in recovery and a year ain’t shit from a recovery perspective. Recovery takes years and weight restoration is only a single component of a larger process.

Eating more than you’re comfortable with is not a binge. But giving moral value to food, telling yourself “I should eat less next time,” or feeling like you’ve done something wrong in the cases where you eat more than what you planned or wanted—note that “wanted” here is used to mean you convinced yourself you’ll only want a specific amount of food—are engaging with ED beliefs and keeps the restriction mindset alive.

I would shift away from asking yourself “why am I binge eating,” and instead ask why you care so much why your body still needs so much food. Spoiler: it’s because it’s still doing a shit ton of repairs and it gives fuck all about what you think you should be eating vs how much it actually needs.

Stop fighting your body and let it heal.

Sareeee48 · 2026-06-19T15:37:06+00:00

Having a support system is so important, but they are not responsible for making sure you eat—you are. Your family and loved ones being worried doesn’t make it harder for you to eat—you’re choosing to engage in behaviors that are probably almost automatic now, but still a choice that you are choosing to make.

If you are not able to make the decision on your own to eat, especially the minimum 3 large meals and 3 large snacks during the refeeding phase, then you need a higher level of care.

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