Coping with the Holidays: Part II
By Beth Clayton, EDCT Volunteer

This will be my first Thanksgiving in recovery. In fact, it will be the first Thanksgiving gathering I've attended in years because I was consumed by my eating disorder. To be honest, I'm a little scared and anxious about it. Having been in recovery for only a few months, celebrating the holidays could be a positive step forward or a complete disaster, depending on how you look at it. I am choosing to see it as a healthy challenge and a step closer to life without my eating disorder (or, e.d.)

When I start to get really anxious about it, I have to stop and remember the tools I have learned. First, I have to remember to breathe and talk it out. I have been discussing Thanksgiving with my therapist and dietician and am developing strategies to cope when I feel overwhelmed. Second, I spoke with my dietitian and family, and together we have come up with a holiday menu that includes foods I am more comfortable with. I am even going to help prepare the meal by bringing a dish. Third, I have practiced social scenarios with my therapist to help me with being around people after so many years of isolation.

Finally, I have to remind myself that I am in control, not e.d. If I get overwhelmed, I can always excuse myself and regroup in a quiet place. I also ask myself, what is the worst that could happen? That question brings me back to reality. I have to reframe the holiday as an opportunity to grow stronger. I will succeed. I will place my black-and-white thinking on the shelf, and I will set no other expectation of myself except to try. That is recovery. That is freedom.

Beth's essay is the second in our three-part series, Coping with the Holidays. Read Part I here.