HOLIDAY SEASON

The holiday season is coming. It's a time to share and celebrate. Even though most of us long for the holidays to come, it is a very challenging period for people suffering from an eating disorder. In fact, it can even be a nightmare.

Christmas and New Year's Eve are traditionally associated with food. Family and friends get together over a nice meal which often has taken hours to prepare. Hors d'oeuvres, ginger bread cookies, fruit cakes, and much more. The overwhelming presence of food can cause panic, confusion and conflict for the person suffering from an eating disorder. Also, there can be a lot of pressure from others. Friends and family do not always understand and may be tempted to push the person to eat just a little bit more. To pretend that the problem does not exist won't help the person suffering from an eating disorder, nor will the angry confrontations. This is obviously not the time to try to resolve an eating disorder. Sadly in fact, the symptoms of an eating disorder can be aggravated during the holiday season.

Holidays are not only about food, but are also characterized by expectations and often by disappointments. We easily fall into idealizing our relationships. Family, friends, traditions, happy or unhappy memories, all this can move us deeply. People suffering from an eating disorder are not only challenged by the food but also by the presence of their loved ones. The pressure to share the holidays with others can become a tremendous source of anxiety and people suffering from an eating disorder will most often choose to isolate themselves.

Yes, the Holidays are a particularly stressful time for the people suffering from an eating disorder, so let us not forget that. Families, friends, professionals, and all of us here at Aneb, we must offer them all the support they need. Above all, let us help them not forget the true meaning of the Holidays.

To all the people suffering from an eating disorder :

Don't fool yourself! Even if isolation seems tempting at first, it almost always goes hand in hand with relapse. During the holidays, every individual suffering from an eating disorder must first and foremost continue to focus on her recovery. Keep in mind that your primary responsibility is to yourself. Here are some tips that can help you face the stress of the Holidays.

1) Plan ahead! Think of a friend or a member of your family whom you can reach if you feel the need. During the holidays, we can experience feelings from the past that can be difficult to manage, and so it's important to have a plan in order to control those feelings and not fall into a pattern of self-destruction.

2) Take care of your body. Travelling during the holidays can be draining. Take care of your muscles by taking the time to stretch and relax them.

3) Don't let yourself get over tired! Take the time to rest and be sure to get enough sleep! Holidays can get hectic but depriving your body of the sleep it needs can cause a lack of balance that will surely affect your capacity to deal with stress.

4) Listen to your body! Overwhelmed by the pressure of family and friends, you can easily forget your hunger and fullness signals.

5) Give yourself some private time! Take some time every day, even if it's only a few minutes, to be alone with yourself : go take a walk, write in your journal, meditate. It is important to take a step back from what you are living and reflect on it. You are the most important person; don't forget it !

6) Be sure to have at hand food that will make you feel comfortable! This will help you deal with anxiety.

7) Let the boundaries go! If you think you are trespassing your limits by giving in to your cravings or eating food you don't usually eat, don't be judgemental! And don't fall for the all or nothing thinking! Write in your journal, call a friend, call us here at Aneb or talk with your therapist. Keep in mind that the symptoms of your eating disorder have more to do with what you're feeling than with the food you just ate.

8) Cherish people around you. Try to make more room for relationships with others and give a little less place to the relationship with your eating disorder. We all dream of a perfect Christmas but it is usually not perfect. The Holidays are a very stressful time for all of us. It is better to cherish little moments than to get too focused on your expectations.

9) Focus on the aspects of your life that have nothing with food or weight! Go skating, go to the movies, go to the library. Or just do something that you would normally do, something ordinary that will give you back your balance.