When You Believe Your Eating Disorder Can't Cause Health Complications

My life is full of “it won’t happen to me” and “it can’t happen to me” thoughts.

For so long, whenever I heard of all the health complications that my behaviors could cause, I assumed that I was the exception to these awful side effects.They would say that my heart would be affected but I always reverted back to, “it won’t happen to me.”

They said that if I kept up my behaviors, my eating disorder would only worsen. For that one, I thought, “that can’t happen to me.”

But, I am here to tell you that it can happen.

So before you listen to the monster of your eating disorder telling you that you are an exception to all of the complications eating disorders can cause, I hope you remember that your eating disorder tells you that just so you will listen to it.

In reality, I think your eating disorder wants what can hurt you. It’s hard to believe the voice inside your head that told you to do things that once might have helped you, is actually out to get you. It’s hard to let go of those behaviors.

You are not always an exception to the awful things your illness can cause. Once you realize this, whether you learn it the hard way or not, you might realize that the life you can have without your eating disorder is so much more amazing and freeing. It’s not easy by any means, but it is wonderful to be able to know that you beat what tried to kill you.

I write this post today because two years ago today, I was stuck in the spiraling mindset that I was bulletproof and that nothing, not even my eating disorder, could hurt me.

We all want to think we can be the exceptions to the rules, but we can’t always be and that’s OK. It’s one more reason to recover.

 If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, you can call the National Eating Disorders Association Helpline at 1-800-931-2237.

We want to hear your story. Become a Mighty contributor here.

Unsplash photo via Kostas Katsouris