How to Balance Work, College, and Recovery

Contributor: Dena Cabrera, Psy.D., CEDS, is the Clinical Director of the Rosewood Centers for Eating Disorders

College years are an exciting time of self-discovery and growth for many young adults. They can also be an incredibly challenging time for those who are recovering from an eating disorder as the burden of balancing college and recovery and a multiple of other responsibilities often results in a hectic, hurried life.

Beware of Anxiety and Stress When Balancing College and Recovery

While anxiety and stress make coping with life in general difficult, when these emotions surface in college they can easily derail even the best-laid plans to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Managing these powerful triggers is critical in order to remain successful in terms of recovery.

Plan for Success

The key is to recognize that balancing college, work, and healthy, mindful eating is by nature a difficult endeavor. But with the right planning it’s also a very attainable goal.

The best way for balancing college and recovery and to maintain your recovery is to recognize that emotional triggers abound in the college lifestyle and to plan accordingly. By mitigating potential triggers you can reduce the possibility that they become a catalyst to relapse.

This can be achieved by putting a solid strategy for success in place before you even take the first step out of the door for college.

Colleges and universities have taken steps to address eating disorders among students by offering access to mental health professionals, specialized treatment programs, educational programs, and peer support groups.

Locate Student Services

Here are some ways to stay on track:

• Maintain your resolve. Keep track of any situations that present a particular struggle for you emotionally and look for ways to either avoid or manage them. Remember what has helped you achieve your recovery and stay with it, especially during those hectic semesters and final exams.
• Build your support system – Keep the phone numbers of your therapist and of those you can turn to for help and support readily available. Stay connected with these individuals or ask them to refer you to someone near your school. They can help provide you with valuable tools dedicated to helping recovering individuals develop coping strategies, plan meals, and stay on track specifically in the college environment.
• Know your resources. Many college campuses provide counseling services to students for little to no cost. This can serve as an excellent resource for students who are struggling with an eating disorder or striving to sustain their recovering from one.
• Stay positive – What you focus on tends to expand. It’s common to find many college students engaging in unhealthy habits, including eating disorders, making it challenging for those trying to maintain their own recovery. Surround yourself with healthy-minded people who will help you stay positive and focused on remaining mindful of your goals.
• Join a community – Many college campuses have programs to offer support and awareness. Connect with other students on campus who are struggling or have struggled, at some point, with an eating disorder in a supportive environment. Collective efforts are far more powerful in ensuring a successful outcome.

Most importantly, don’t be too hard on yourself if you suffer a setback or feel vulnerable. Instead, take note of what has contributed to your situation and reach out to those people who will encourage you to stay strong and on your healthy path.

About the author:

Dena Cabrera, Psy.D., CEDS, is the Executive Clinical Director of the Rosewood Centers for Eating Disorders. Dr. Cabrera oversees all clinical aspects of patient care, leads program development and directs staff training and supervision throughout the Rosewood system. Dr. Cabrera is the author of Mom in the Mirror:  Body Image, Beauty and Life after Pregnancy.  This is the body image book for every woman struggling with body image.

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.

Last Updated & Reviewed By: Jacquelyn Ekern, MS, LPC on August 28, 2015. Published on EatingDisorderHope.com