Surviving Thanksgiving in Eating Disorder Recovery

Written by CCTC Staff Writer

Thanksgiving is a time for family, friends, and good food. But for people in recovery from an eating disorder, it can be a Holiday that is stressful, overwhelming, and intimidating. The holiday season can be difficult enough without having to worry about avoiding all the foods that are associated with Thanksgiving. But with a little planning and preparation, you can survive Thanksgiving and enjoy the holiday season while keeping your recovery on track.

In this blog we will discuss:

• Why Thanksgiving can be triggering for those in recovery from an eating disorder

• How to talk to your treatment team and support system about your concerns before Thanksgiving celebrations

• Tips to handle common triggers and stressors

• How to handle any setbacks

Why is Thanksgiving difficult for those in eating disorder recovery?

For those without an eating disorder, Thanksgiving can be a time to relax, enjoy good food, and spend time with loved ones. But for those in eating disorder recovery, it can be a holiday that is full of triggers and stressors. Here are some of the reasons why Thanksgiving can be difficult for people in eating disorder recovery:

A large focus on food

For many people, Thanksgiving is all about the food. Many traditional dishes are served, often followed by an array of desserts. This can be overwhelming and triggering for someone in eating disorder recovery who is in the process of reestablishing a healthy relationship to food. 

A change in routine

Oftentimes Thanksgiving meals will be scheduled in the afternoon or evening. Those not in recovery, may skip meals or change normal eating patterns before this gathering as a way to prepare to "indulge." This type of thinking can be triggering for those in eating disorder recovery and shadow old behaviors such as restriction before binging. Additionally, in early eating disorder recovery, there is an emphasis on learning to stick to the routine of a meal plan of multiple meals and snacks throughout the day. Thanksgiving can provide a challenge in balancing flexibility in recovery while meeting one's needs.

Unsolicited comments on food, body, or appearance

When seeing loved ones we have not seen in a while, there is an unfortunate normalization of commenting on one's body or appearance. This can be extremely distressing for someone in recovery who is feeling self-conscious or overly aware of their body changes or are concerned about how they look. There is often a lot of pressure to eat on Thanksgiving, both from family members and from society in general. This pressure can be difficult to handle, especially for someone who is working on recovery. Diet talk in general is also common on Thanksgiving, as people may make comments about how they have to lose weight after the holiday. This can be triggering for someone in eating disorder recovery, who may be working hard to avoid diet talk and body comparisons.

Triggering situations

Holidays bring family and loved ones together which can also bring up old dynamics and interpersonal stressors. This can be difficult for anyone, but especially for those in eating disorder recovery who may engage in behaviors to cope with anxiety, disappointments or difficult memories.

How to talk to your treatment team and support system about your concerns before Thanksgiving celebrations 

If you are in treatment for an eating disorder, it is important to talk to your treatment team about your concerns and any potential triggers before the holiday season. This can help you to develop a plan for how to deal with triggers as they come up. It is also important to talk to your support system about your concerns. This may include close friends or family members who you can rely on for support. Let them know about your triggers and how they can help you to avoid or cope with them.

If you are unsure what may be most triggering for you, spend some time journaling about it. Visualize yourself going through Thanksgiving day. Who will you see? What food will be there? What will be difficult? What goals do you have? What will you do if things don't go as planned? Running through the possibilities will give you a solid foundation to start preparing a game plan.

Tips to handle common triggers and stressors

There are a few things that you can do to help deal with potential triggers and stressors during the Thanksgiving holiday:

1) Plan ahead

If you can, decide which foods you will and will not eat ahead of time. You could discuss with your treatment team to prepare a game plan. This can help to simplify things and make it easier to stick to your meal plan.

2) Have a support person

Have someone that you can rely on for support. This may be a close friend or family member who understands your situation. Let them know about your triggers and how they can help you avoid or cope with them.

3) Have an escape plan to destress or remove yourself

If things start to get too overwhelming, have a plan for how you will leave the situation. This may mean having an excuse ready or leaving to take a walk.

4) Shut down diet talk or walk away

If someone starts talking about dieting or their own body, shut them down or walk away. This may mean saying something like, "I'm not interested in that kind of talk" or "I'm going to get some air."

5) Focus on your goals

Remember why you are in treatment and what your goals are. This can help you to stay motivated and focused on what is most important.

6) Be prepared for setbacks

Things may not always go as planned. If you do have a slip-up, don't be too hard on yourself. Talk to your treatment team about what happened and how you can prevent it from happening again in the future.

7) Celebrate your recovery

Even if things are difficult and you feel you struggled more than expected, be proud of how far you have come. Even taking the time to try to prepare for a positive holiday season is a testament to your strength and resilience.

Related: Grounding Techniques for Eating Disorder Recovery 

What to do if things do not go as planned

If you find yourself in a triggering situation on Thanksgiving, it is important to remember that you have a choice in how you respond. If you find yourself engaging in old eating disorder behaviors, such as restriction or binging, try to be gentle with yourself. This does not mean that you have failed! You are only human, recovery is a process and there will be bumps along the way. No one said recovery is a perfect process. The important thing is to get back on track as soon as possible. A great first step is being honest with your treatment team and support system to learn from the experience.

If you are looking for eating disorder support, take the first step today and talk to someone about recovery or simply learn more about the holistic eating disorder recovery programs we offer at Central Coast Treatment Center.