Well you might be wondering what these three things have in common and the answer is creating a terrible body image for me.
Good God I hate mirrors. I didn’t realize how little I missed having having them available until I came home from residential. There were no mirrors at CFD except in the bathrooms you only get to use in morning and night. It’s a blessing I’m telling you!!! No room to compare or obsess or body check. It makes me wish my parents would do a bit of redecorating without them. I’ve begun closing my eyes now and it definitely helps.
Until today, I’d avoided shaving since before I left. I had the opportunity to do so in treatment but didn’t because a) laziness and b) I didn’t want to look at my huge (in EDs mind) legs. Let’s just say it didn’t go so well. I began crying and checking and scrutinizing how much they’ve changed since I’ve eaten more. It sucks getting used to my new body but at the same time I know I needed to gain.
My second challenge today has been finding a dress to wear. I put on a few options and none fit the way the way I hoped. Most were bought during my sickest moments, so this makes sense. Even so, the ED has grown loud. If I’m not as thin that means I’m unacceptable and fat.
The ED is a liar. It’s using these situations to hurt me. I’m going to accept the bad body image but I can’t let it affect my recovery. I’m still going to follow my meal plan, use skills, and challenge behaviors because I deserve it. My body needs to heal.
reviving emily 
Ugh I hate mirrors too 😊
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Great for you for staying open minded and focusing on recovery!
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Thank you!!
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I hid all my full length mirrors during weight gain, it really helped and it did a good job of breaking my habit of standing in front of them for hours just hating myself. I still do this sometimes, but it is so much less frequent now it is a such a relief. Buying new clothes was also a necessary evil- I hated this bit, but having a wardbrobe of clothes that fit and don’t hold ED memories for me is releasing!
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I’m thinking of getting rid of my one full-length. It’s not doing any good. I deserve to have clothes I feel comfortable in even if it isn’t the same size I was!
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I hid mine in the back of my wardrobe- so I had it for emergencies (if there are such a thing are mirror emergencies) but it didn’t rule my everyday life. My current one is covered in fairy lights and pretty things given to me by friends so it’s a positive thing in my room now. Isn’t it a bit sad how much thought I have given to mirrors?!
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Ooh that’s a good idea! It is sad really, but the good thing is we can always change it and do better 🙂
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Hope you are feeling better. I have started a love yourself positive body imGe campaign – check out my blog for support and info. Love yourself hun x
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Thank you! I’ll check it out 🙂
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I love you Emmy Em! At TK our mirrors were like fake ones so they weren’t “accurate” anyway and the hospital didn’t have full length ones. I also hated coming back to full length ones. My mirror is screwed onto my door so…I couldn’t get rid of it. I decorated mine with dry erase markers…bible quotes, affirmations, and goals. That definitely helps!
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Love you too! I hate them all now tbh. It’s weird how much I miss not having them.
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Hang in there. Hold to the ground you’ve covered. Five years into it, I can say from experience, the “sting” of the body changes abates. You actually learn to settle into your healthier body. It’s worth it. 100 percent.
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I really appreciate that. I have hopes that one day none of this will matter to me too
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I wish that i could say that it no longer matters to me. I’m sorry if I communicated that. It still matters. It just doesn’t sting quite so bad. And other things/relationships have become larger in my life. I think it’s a journey for sure.
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Oh no of course I realize that. Honestly any less than what its at now would be amazing. But I get that it comes with time and hard work and that’s okay too
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