3 Tips for Finding Freedom from Orthorexia

This is a guest post by Jennifer Rollin, MSW, LGSW. Read About the Author Below to learn more about her work.

From the outside, she appears to have everything together. She has recently discovered a passion for “healthy” eating and nutrition. She Instagrams pictures of vibrantly colored fruits and vegetables, smiling selfies, and #fitspiration shots. She appears to have the “perfect” life.

What no one sees is the hours she spends walking down grocery store aisles and the nights where she stays up googling nutrition information. They don’t know that her mind is consumed with thoughts of food and keeping track of her increasingly rigid rules. She has stopped hanging out with friends because the thought of eating out fills her with anxiety. She has never felt so depressed and alone. Her friends applaud her new “healthy” lifestyle. But she is not simply choosing to act and behave this way. She has become a prisoner to her own mind.

Orthorexia is an emerging eating disorder, which is commonly defined as a fixation on “healthy” eating -to the point where it becomes mentally and physically unhealthy. So what can you do if you are struggling with orthorexia and want to find freedom? Even though part of you might want to hold onto the eating disorder, I would guess that you are reading this because there is another part that desperately wants recovery. The following are three tips for your recovery from orthorexia.

1. Create a recovery support network.

When the eating disorder voice is particularly strong, it is critical to reach out for support. It is important to try to develop a recovery support network, which could consist of a psychotherapist (preferably one who specializes in eating disorders), doctor, nutritionist, psychiatrist, mentor, friends, and family members.

Try making a list of the people that you could include in your recovery support network. If you are looking for a psychotherapist, I would recommend going on www.psychologytoday.com or checking out The National Eating Disorder Association’s Helpline. A mentor can also be a great addition to your recovery support network. MentorConnect is a great free resource where you can apply to be matched with a mentor who is in strong recovery. No one should have to go through the recovery process alone and the more support that you can receive-the better. Learning to reach out to people instead of your eating disorder is a critical step in your recovery process.

The diet-culture that we are surrounded by can make recovery from orthorexia especially challenging. It’s important that you are mindful of the social media that you consume. If any of the people that you “like” or “follow” are triggering i.e. promote dieting, fispiration, or “clean eating,” it is helpful to remove them from your newsfeed. Even some so-called “recovery” accounts can be highly triggering. Once you have taken away triggering accounts, it is important to add in some body-positive, health at every size, anti-diet accounts, which can inspire you to keep working on your recovery.

2. Redefine what it means to be “healthy.”

Your eating disorder will likely tell you that letting go of your “healthy” rules and rituals will cause you to become “unhealthy.” However, it is important to work to redefine what it would mean for you to be truly mentally and physically health. It is critical to remember that health is entirely person and context specific. We’ve all seen the fear -mongering lists of “foods that you should never eat again” or “foods that are totally unhealthy.” These general statements as to what foods are “healthy” and “unhealthy” are completely ridiculous.

As human beings we are completely different and unique, with different gut bacteria, histories, environments, genes, and tons of other biological and psychological variations. What may be “healthy” for one person may be “unhealthy” for another, therefore making any general statements that label a food group or specific food, as being “healthy” or “unhealthy” makes zero sense.

Also it’s important to note that mental health is an important part of overall health. I think we can all agree that being terrified of eating a brownie, having to carry food with you everywhere, and experiencing severe anxiety over eating out is not mentally healthy. For instance, if you are struggling with orthorexia and do not allow yourself to eat any processed foods, the healthiest thing for you to have for a snack, may be a bag of potato chips. You could be nutritionally compromised as a result of your rigid food rules and may benefit from the calories (i.e. energy) that the chips give you. Eating the potato chips will also help you in your journey towards making peace with and neutralizing foods. 

3. Break your eating disorder’s rules.

The reality is that you cannot recover from orthorexia by continuing to eat only “safe” foods. While eating disorders are about much more than just food, it is critical that you gradually expose yourself to any feared foods or situations.

You can start by making a list of foods that are challenging for you (in order from least to most challenging). Then, work to gradually begin to eat the foods that scare you. You may choose to do these food challenges with the support of a loved one, or in session with a therapist or nutritionist.

Often we say that we will wait to do something when we feel less afraid, but the paradox is that the doing it often comes before the fear goes away. Know that the challenges will become easier overtime. Also, remind yourself of why you are working to challenge yourself in the first place. If you are struggling with motivation, it could be helpful to make a list of what you imagine your life could be like 10 years from now if you are still trapped in your eating disorder vs. if you have fully recovered.

For more detailed tips on how to face fear foods check out my Psychology Today article.

Why Recover?

Recovery is hard work. It can be exhausting at times and is often not a linear process. I also like to think of recovery as a marathon, not a sprint. So why bother to try to recover in the first place? After all, your eating disorder makes you feel “in control” and “safe.”

I can tell you that staying trapped in your eating disorder is ultimately a recipe for sadness, isolation, and discontent. Your eating disorder may enable you to feel a false sense of “control,” but the reality is that the deeper you are into it, the more it begins to completely consume your life.

At the end of your life, it is unlikely that you will look back and be fondly reminiscing about the hours that you spent looking up nutritional information online. Choosing recovery will enable you to make memories that really matter, such as sharing meals with friends and family, pursuing your passions, and being compassionate to others.

Ultimately, your life is worth so much more than obsessing about food and your body. No one chooses to have an eating disorder, but you can make the choice to work towards a full recovery.

Is #orthorexia holding you back from experiencing life? Read these 3 tips from @Jennifer_Rollin.

About the Author of 3 Tips for Finding Freedom From Orthorexia

Jennifer Rollin, MSW, LGSW is a mental health therapist, intuitive eating counselor, and blogger on The Huffington Post and Psychology Today. She specializes in treating adolescents, survivors of trauma, and individuals with eating disorders and mood disorders. She is a junior board member for The National Eating Disorder Association. “Like” Jennifer on Facebook at Jennifer Rollin, MSW, LGSW. Or check out her website at www.jenniferrollin.com.