10 Phases of Eating Disorder Recovery

1. I Don’t Think I Have a Problem.
• It’s my body so leave me alone.
• There are people who are a lot thinner (worse) than I am.
2. I Might Have a Problem but It’s Not That Bad.
• I only throw up occasionally.
• My physical didn’t show anything wrong, so I am OK.
3. I Have a Problem but I Don’t Care.
• I know throwing up isn’t good for me, but it’s working for me so, I don’t care.
• I could change if I wanted to, but I don’t.
4. I Want to Change but I Don’t Know How, and I’m Scared.
• I want to eat normally, but I am afraid I will get fat (gain weight).
• I want to stop bingeing, but I can’t figure out where to start.
5. I Tried to Change but I Couldn’t.
• I told myself that I would not (fill in the blank) but I found myself doing it again.
• I don’t feel like I can ever (change) get well, so why keep trying?
6. I Can Stop Some of the Behaviors but Not All of Them.
• I could stop purging, but I will not be able to eat more.
• I could stop restricting, but I will not be able to eat more.
• My eating has gotten better, but my exercise is out of control.
7. I Can Stop the Behaviors, But Not My Thoughts.
• I can’t stop thinking about food and bingeing all the time.
• I keep counting calories over and over in my head and still want to lose weight.
8. I Am Often Free from Behaviors and Thoughts, But Not All the Time.
• I feel fine all day, but under stress I revert to my unhealthy behaviors.
• I was fine but wearing a bathing suit triggered my eating disorder thoughts, and with it some related behaviors.
9. I Am Free from Behaviors and Thoughts.
• I feel mostly OK in my body and can eat things I want and not feel guilty or anxious afterwards.
• Once I had stopped the behaviors for a period, at some point I realized that I was no longer having the
thoughts or urges.
10. I Am Recovered.
• For a long time now, I no longer have thoughts, feelings, or behaviors related to my eating disorder.
• I accept my body’s natural size. My eating disorder is a thing of the past.