why is recovery from anorexia like taking off an itchy jumper?
have you ever fallen in love with a beautiful jumper?
It looks gorgeous, and it’s a great colour. However, when you put it on, it feels uncomfortable—the wool is itchy. But it is warm. So you buy it and then have a love-hate relationship with it. You enjoy wearing it as it looks good, you get attention from wearing it, and the protection it gives you from the elements makes you feel comforted and protected. But the itchiness is annoying and distracting. It reduces your ability to enjoy the moment. Sometimes you put up with the itchiness for the positive attributes of the jumper; other times, you would rather take it off and risk feeling a bit chilly.
the itchy jumper and the battle of anorexia
This analogy, while clearly simplistic, is a good layperson’s description of the battle to recover from anorexia nervosa and the challenges of eating disorder recovery. Clearly, no one wants anorexia or falls in love with it. However, eating disorders do serve a purpose, and this can feel compelling. Anorexia nervosa is maintained for many reasons and, indeed, combinations of reasons. It may be an expression of pain, a way to manage life, as applying rules makes life appear more straightforward and controllable, or a distraction from intense feelings. Sometimes, you will put up with the ‘itchiness’ for the payoffs that the eating disorder provides.
But there are many negatives to anorexia nervosa beyond the obvious. In addition to the risks of malnourishment, muscle loss, osteoporosis, suppressed immune system, poor fertility, detrimental brain changes, stress on the heart, and increased risk of death, life becomes very, very small. Eating disorder sufferers often become introverted. They turn away from life’s opportunities, from their family and friends, stop flourishing, and become prisoners of their fears and anxieties—not just around food but life in general. Adolescents stop maturing, staying frozen in time while those around them continue to progress. And ironically, they feel physically cold despite the analogous jumper.
It is these ‘cons’ that make the jumper so itchy. And the longer it stays on, the harder it is to remove, yet the worse it irritates the skin. Deciding to take the jumper off is the first step in the journey, and eating disorder recovery involves more than weight restoration. While restoring weight may minimise the medical risks associated with energy restriction and malnourishment, it will not teach the sufferer how to manage the chill once the jumper is removed. Importantly, they will need to find a new way to navigate life after anorexia and rebuild a healthy relationship with food and themselves— without relying on the ‘protection’ of the eating disorder.
eating disorder recovery - removing the itchy jumper
Eating disorder recovery is about finding healthier ways to cope with emotions, developing resilience and managing challenges without relying on restrictive behaviours or disordered eating patterns.
The Eating Clinic is a multi-disciplinary clinic that supports our clients, helping to remove the itchy jumper for good and, importantly, provides tools and strategies to manage life with all its challenges. Our approach is unique to each client, but it usually provides a foundation of nutrition re-education, on top of which we can build our client’s confidence and increase flexibility and problem-solving abilities so they can begin to thrive—no jumper necessary!