Surviving Christmas When You Have An Eating Disorder

I don't want to focus this blog entirely on eating disorders, but obviously its an area I know pretty well, so It's a topic close to my heart.

Christmas is upon us, and it hit me big time on thursday when I started to think about how I was going to cope with it. All that went through my head was PANIC!! So much food, so much pressure, so many people, so much expectation. How will I survive?




I've received some good advice and help sheets over the last few weeks, so I thought I'd post some advice on ways to make Christmas more managable.

• Write down your worries and anxieties and challenge them. Identify what is your main concern and try and make plans to tackle it. It also helps to rationalise your thoughts to help reduce anxiety.
• Pre-Plan. If you are going out, make sure you see the menu first to avoid any surprises and choose what you will have before hand. If you will be eating around relatives or friends, perhaps discuss with them what food will be prepared so you know what you'll be facing.
• Influence the meal. I don't mean to say that everyone must eat the same as you, but it might be worth asking whoever is cooking if they could add something you're comfortable with, or if they could cook something in a different way, maybe offer to help cook so you can feel more relaxed about how things have been handled. But just a warning, be careful not to let the eating disorder take over.
• Talk to someone you trust - have them with you. It's good to have support from someone who understands how you are feeling. Share your worries, fears and anxieties, and maybe ask them to distract you if you look uncomfortable or finding things a struggle.
• Remind yourself for the reasons of Christmas. It's a time of celebration, family, and being grateful for the year. It's also a time of food. It's normal to enjoy food and treat yourself during the christmas season.
• Think back to Christmas before the Eating Disorder. I'm sure you used to love christmas. If you did it then, you will be able to do it again!
• Remember that set backs and slips are normal. If you find you can't manage, or you have a lapse, this is not a failure, you are not faltering - its and opportunity to learn and move on!
• If you're tempted to binge or the feeling of fullness is too much take time out! Listen to music, take a short walk, have a bath, phone a friend.
• Do not expect everything to be perfect. Be realistic and be proud of what you can manage and any positive steps you have taken. No one is perfect, so don't be hard on yourself if things don't work out quite as you planned.
• Occassional overeating will not make you fat! Having Christmas dinner, or a few chocolates, will not have any effect long term on your weight. It's ok to overeat sometimes, especially at Christmas.
• Do what you can manage. Don't push yourself to do something you don't feel you can cope with. This works the other way round too. If you feel like you can manage something but are worried about people's reactions, maybe start by challenging yourself when there are less people around or when you're with people you trust.
• Don't isolate yourself. Being alone when everyone else is enjoying themselves is not going to make you feel good sbout yourself. You might feel like if you join in you'll be ruining Christmas for everyone, but I'm sure if your family and friends care for you, they will love to spend time with you, whether you're ill or well. Try it.

I'm sure there's loads of good advice out there. It's a tough time, but its also a good time to challenge yourself and to practice managing your anxieties. The most important thing is to talk about it. You'll be surprised how more relaxed you'll feel once you've got it off your chest.