How did I get my period back and recover from HA and my ED? Well, it wasn’t easy…but boy was it worth it. It is a much longer and complicated story (read here) than this but, I got my period back and recovered from my Restrictive Eating Disorder by;
1. Seeing my amazing psychologist for over 2 years.
2. Working on BALANCE of all the things - food, movement, rest, enjoyment, work, sunshine, holidays and so on.
3. Eating more (and following the motto VOLUME. VARIETY and REGULARITY when it comes to food) and resting more. Might sound easy for some, but I know for those struggling with something similar, it is so far from easy ❤
For any beautiful lady who has lost her period due to an Eating Disorder, please know recovery is so much more than just getting your period back. Yes, that plays a small role in your recovery, but please keep moving forward on the path to Full Recovery.
Let me explain.
When I initially started seeing my Psychologist, I wanted the best of both worlds. I wanted to get rid of my ED and all the crap that came with it, and get my period back (which had been gone for a couple of years). Yet, I didn’t want to have to challenge my food/exercise or gain any weight. Not one gram. Well, that was impossible. What I was wanting was partial recovery - and trust me, partial recovery isn’t where LIFE is found. Seeing my Psychologist certainly wasn’t easy, but I was so ready to put a stop to my ED once and for all. I knew that I couldn’t just ‘half-do’ recovery, it just doesn’t work that way.
For me, full recovery looked like: When we reached my last session, my Psychologist and I both felt that I was recovered and not in danger of relapsing. It was a mutual feeling, we were both stoked with where I was at and I was very stable. I had completed all my food and exercise challenges set out by my Psychologist, and there wasn’t anything left to challenge. I had plateaued at my stable, natural weight for me, my periods were very regular and had been for over a year, and there wasn’t really much left for us to work on together.
I think one of the most significant situations that really signalled I was fully recovered, was how insignificant my weight had become to me.
As part of my Psychology sessions, I was always weighed. The last however many sessions, I honestly didn’t feel anything when I would jump on the scales. That was HUGE and took a long time. At the beginning of my journey, I couldn’t ever imagine that happening, but by the end of my psychology sessions, that number on the scales FINALLY didn’t mean much to me at all. I would jump on the scales and think “cool ‘x’ weight”, and move on. I have come to realise, that the scales serve me no purpose, and I will NEVVEEEERRRRR have them in my clinic or household.
Wanting nutritional/naturopathic support on your ED recovery journey/getting your period back? I am here for you❤👭🏼👫. I understand what you are going through and am here to help you get back to nourishing every cell in your body. Furthermore, if you know or think you might have an eating disorder, please speak with your GP or healthcare professional. You can also contact a number of support services such as The Butterfly Foundation https://butterfly.org.au/. You are not alone, and there are so many strategies and professional healthcare workers that can help you on your journey to recovery.
Love Nutmeg xx
