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The Eating Disorder Recovery Process Isn’t Fake; It’s Practice
Contributor: Camille Williams, MA, NCC, LCPC, Eating Disorder Program Coordinator at Timberline Knolls Residential Treatment Center
There’s a common phrase for early recovery, “fake it ‘til you make it” that basically means just do what you’re told until you eventually believe it.
This phrase goes against a lot of the eating disorder recovery process and principles including authenticity, autonomy, and empowerment.
Let’s take a closer look and explore an alternative.
In eating disorder (ED) recovery, there’s a lot of change that needs to happen. The relationship with food and body needs to transform drastically and includes both beliefs and behaviors. If the client is seeking help and working towards recovery, then there is an awareness and understanding that the ED is not working.
Therefore, the client does not have to “fake it ‘til you make it,” what the client really needs to do is “practice it ‘til you make it.” Recovery is about practicing new behaviors and exploring new beliefs until they become the new normal.
When a client begins the recovery journey, a dietitian will recommend a meal plan and start providing education about nutrition. The meal plan and nutrition facts may feel uncomfortable or unfamiliar, which can lead to high anxiety about challenging beliefs and making changes to behaviors with food.
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If we use the phrase “fake it ‘til you make it” in this situation, we are suggesting the client blindly follow the dietitian until it magically feels right. Instead, while in recovery, the client needs to practice new patterns with meals and snacks and understand nutrition facts rather than beliefs about food that stem from fears or misinformation.
Body image is another area where “fake it ‘til you make it” is commonly professed. Again, the beliefs and behaviors regarding body image need to change for recovery, and that doesn’t mean the eating disorder recovery process is fake. If body checking in mirrors or excessive weighing on the scale is triggering ED behaviors, then the client will need to practice decreasing these behaviors for effective recovery.
The client doesn’t need to pretend to love the body suddenly, it means practicing behaviors that support recovery. Likewise, beliefs about the body may need to be explored. If judging and criticizing the body is common, the recovery process may include practicing gratitude for a functioning body. Again, rather than faking recommendations provided by a therapist, the client is practicing individualized beliefs and behaviors that align with the eating disorder recovery process.
People believe in “fake it ‘til you make it” because what is really happening is a willingness to continue making choices that align with recovery even as a multitude of feelings show up. Changing the way we phrase it to “practice it ‘til you make it” empowers clients to see that recovery happens as a result of their choices that were practiced over and over again. The new beliefs and new behaviors will eventually feel more comfortable and natural as well as align with recovery values.
Therefore, practice it ‘til you make it, recovery warriors!
About the Sponsor:
Timberline Knolls Residential Treatment Center is a private, female-only treatment facility located just outside of Chicago, Illinois. We specialize in providing care to women and girls who are struggling with eating disorders, addiction, and a variety of other mental health concerns. We focus on the individual strengths and goals of each patient and craft treatment plans that uniquely suit each woman’s needs.
About the Author:
Camille Williams, MA, NCC, LCPC
As the Eating Disorder Program Coordinator, Camille supports the development of curriculum, supervises the eating disorder specialist, and provides group therapy. She also educates and trains all staff on campus and advocates for eating disorder awareness through publications.
Camille started at Timberline Knolls as a Behavioral Health Specialist. She then transitioned into the Eating Disorder Specialist (EDS) role. In this position for nearly five years, she developed her skills and competence in working with the eating disorder population.
Camille received a Bachelor of Arts degree in both psychology and sociology from Augustana College in Rock Island, IL. She then went on to earn a Master of Arts in Clinical Professional Psychology from Roosevelt University, IL.
Camille is a member of the International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals (IAEDP).
The opinions and views of our guest contributors are shared to provide a broad perspective of eating disorders. These are not necessarily the views of Eating Disorder Hope, but an effort to offer a discussion of various issues by different concerned individuals.
We at Eating Disorder Hope understand that eating disorders result from a combination of environmental and genetic factors. If you or a loved one are suffering from an eating disorder, please know that there is hope for you, and seek immediate professional help.
Published on October 1, 2018.
Reviewed & Approved on October 1, 2018 by Jacquelyn Ekern, MS, LPC
Published on EatingDisorderHope.com
The EatingDisorderHope.com editorial team comprises experienced writers, editors, and medical reviewers specializing in eating disorders, treatment, and mental and behavioral health.
