Food and Emotions
What is one way that emotions can affect our eating behaviors?
Emotions can influence appetite, eating patterns, urges.
What is a cognitive distortion?
An inaccurate or unhelpful thinking pattern that can influence how we interpret situations.
True or False: Self-love means thinking everything about yourself is perfect.
False.
Name one quality of a healthy relationship.
Trust, respect, communication, honesty, boundaries, support, safety, etc.
Name one area of life where someone might have a goal.
School, friendships, family, career, hobbies, health, travel, creativity, etc.
Name two emotions that may make eating more difficult?
Anxiety, sadness, guilt, shame, etc.
Identify the cognitive distortion: “I ate dessert, so I completely ruined my recovery.”
All-or-nothing thinking.
What is the difference between self-love and self-acceptance?
Self-love involves treating yourself with care and compassion; self-acceptance involves recognizing and allowing yourself to be who you are without constantly judging or trying to change yourself.
True or False: Setting a boundary means you don't care about the other person's feelings.
False.
True or False: Your eating disorder can sometimes interfere with achieving your life goals.
True.
True or False: You should only eat when you are physically hungry
False, our bodies need regular nourishment even when hunger cues are difficult to notice or are affected by an eating disorder.
Identify the cognitive distortion:
“Everyone at school probably noticed that my body changed.”
Mind reading.
Complete the sentence: “I can accept myself even when ______.”
“I make mistakes,” “I don't feel confident,” or “I have a difficult day.”
What is one difference between a healthy boundary and controlling someone?
A boundary communicates what you need or will do, while controlling behavior attempts to dictate someone else's choices.
What is the difference between a goal and a value?
A goal is something you want to accomplish, while a value is something important that guides how you want to live
A person feels anxious after eating and thinks, "I need to do something to get rid of this feeling." What would a healthier response be?
Identify the cognitive distortion:
“If I don't follow my food rules perfectly, something terrible will happen.”
Catastrophizing.
A friend makes a mistake and immediately says, “I'm so stupid. I can't do anything right.” What could you say to help them practice self-compassion?
Encourage them to speak to themselves the way they would speak to a friend and remind them that making mistakes doesn't determine their worth.
A friend says, “If you don't do what I want, we're not friends anymore.” What might this tell you about the relationship?
It may indicate unhealthy pressure, manipulation, or a lack of respect for boundaries.
Someone says, “I want to go to college, but my ED takes up so much of my time that I can't focus on school.” What is one way recovery could help them move toward their goal?
Recovery can free up mental and physical energy to focus on school, relationships, activities, and other meaningful parts of life.
Why is learning to experience uncomfortable emotions without changing eating behaviors an important part of ED recovery?
It helps build emotional tolerance and teaches the person that difficult emotions can be managed without relying on ED behaviors.
Turn this ED thought into a more balanced thought:
“I ate more than I planned, so I have no control and might as well give up.”
“Eating more than I planned doesn't mean I lost control or failed. I can continue with my next meal and keep working toward recovery.”
Why can practicing self-acceptance be especially important during ED recovery?
Recovery can involve changes in thoughts, behaviors, body, routines, and identity. Acceptance helps someone respond to those changes with compassion rather than judgment or ED behaviors.
A friend tells you they're struggling with their ED. What are two helpful ways you could support them?
Listen without judgment, encourage them to seek professional support, avoid commenting on their body/food, respect boundaries, offer companionship, or ask how they would like to be supported.
What does “building a life beyond the eating disorder” mean?
Developing relationships, interests, goals, experiences, and a sense of identity that aren't centered around the ED.