How to stay in recovery

[Rach878]

Well i've just been discharged after 5 weeks in residental and 5 weeks in partial. I'm finding it harder to stay on track with not restricting and with binging and purging. Mostly because since i got out i feel like i look like a whale. I just don't know how to keep the neg. body image down enough so that i can stay on the path to recovery adn not relapse. I mean i worked really hard. I didn't use behaviors for the whole 5 weeks in residentall and for 2 weeks in partial, but know they are occassionally creeping up on me and i don't know what to do to stop them. Can you please give me suggestions?

Also when i was in residental they did weights and vitals every day. I was wondering what it means when the jump in your vitals is more than 40 from laying down to standing up. They called it severe hypo something, but i was wondering if it was something that should go away or that i should worry about.

[Rach878]

I have a great theripist, and i just started meeting with a nutrionist and a theripist that specializes in ED. I got ride of my scale while i was in the partial program. Your right about  the changing your mind frame part. It was much easier in rehab. Now that i'm out my neg. body image is worse than ever before. I wouldnt' say that i've relapsed, but i am using behaviors a few times a week, which is much better than before rehab. I'm hoping the therapy will help those few times a week, and going back to school i think will help too. I won't have as much down time to obsess about things. Do you know what it means when your vitals jump so much from lying to standing?

How long have you been in recovery for?

[melmarv]

As far as your vitals go.  A lot of people with eating disorder vitals jump up and down when there is movement.  If you are getting healthy then it is not something that I would stress yourself out about right now.  Have them checked in a couple months if you continue on you path to recovery.  If you do relapse then they need to be checked more regularly.  It's not good for your heart.

[melmarv]

What kind of support do you have right now?  Do you have a therapist and a nutritionist? That is what you need to get first.  If you can't afford that then I would suggest going to eating disorder meetings weekly, where you will be held responsible.  When I got out of rehab, it was really hard to not to get back into my eating disorder but I had an incredible support system.  You need that. When you were in rehab I am sure you went over how to change your mind frame, and I am not going to lie it is easier to do it there, but you have to remember what they taught you.  Believe in yourself and most importantly believe in you recovery.  Get ED out of your head.  Do whatever it takes, make sure you do not have any scales in the house, and try very hard not to body check yourself every five minutes.   You can have a successful recovery.  I have my moments but for the most part I have. It can be done!!