Stephen R. Covey — 'We see the world, not as it is, but as we are── or, as we are conditioned to see it.'
Some humans learn to use pathological eating and exercise as a coping skill. Based on my lived experience, I do recognize that my ED once protected me from unbearable experiences and feelings even as it slowly killed me. I created this list showing the various parts of how my ED helped me. Some of these reasons were difficult to admit but to gain the insight needed to rid the ED and instead form healthy coping skills it was a must.
I encourage you to discover what your ED does for you. This exercise will help you learn why you are motivated to continue using it but even better understanding how to replace its parts with healthy coping practices.
XoXo,
Dr. Dusty