Finding Strength in God: Coping Without an Eating Disorder
There used to be a time where anytime there was a situation that elicited negative feelings, it would be a trigger for me to engage in my eating disorder. Something didn’t go my way, I didn’t get a good outcome, or daily stressors got to me, I found myself turning to starvation or a bucket of ice cream followed by my head in the toilet. I was 0 to 100 in a matter of seconds, and even though I wanted to control the situation, I was totally out of control.
When the world feels heavy, when there is so much sadness and hurt in the world, when the unimaginable happens, it can be easy to turn to worldly things to cope. To be comforted by pleasures like food. Please don’t get me wrong, It’s normal, natural even, to share a meal with others that are grieving. It can be so healing, and I encourage that.
Then there is the dark side to coping with substances including food. Food for many of us can be a form of coping that ends up making you feel out of control with or try to restrict to gain control over a broken and terrible situation. Using food to numb feelings, stuffing feelings down with food and then throwing them up, or restricting food to try to gain control of a situation that simply cannot be controlled. If you’ve been there you know this doesn’t end well, it never does.
So what can you do instead?
Seek the Lord. Find Jesus in times of despair. He is right there walking alongside you, wrapping His arms around you. He is the only comfort we need, and the only on that will provide us with the sense of calm that’s needed during an unimaginable time.
It can be so difficult to not cope with an eating disorder behavior if that’s typically what you turn to. Just like with drugs, any wave of emotions can trigger your mind wanting to either reach for food or restrict food in an effort to control an uncontrollable situation. The first time or many times you try this it won’t be perfect, but over time it will get easier.
Steps for Coping Without Engaging in an Eating Disorder
1. Pray
Pray for strength, comfort, and wisdom. Pray for Jesus to be near. Pray for God to lay His hands on you (or those who need the support).
“Pray without ceasing.” — 1 Thessalonians 5:17
2. Seek Out People
Call your friends, reach out to your pastor or church group, seek a Christian therapist. Evil thrives in isolation. When you link arms with another Christian, they will help carry the burden.
“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” — Galatians 6:2
3. Do What Makes You Feel Close to God
This could be deep breaths, taking a walk in nature, reading a book or the Bible, worshiping to music, or anything that allows you to turn your eyes upon Jesus.
“I lift up my eyes to you, to you whose throne is in heaven.” — Psalm 123:1
4. Give Yourself Grace
It’s not easy, especially when it comes to food triggers. Food is everywhere. You have to eat a meal, and our society ties food to emotional events and situations. Sometimes you may not handle the situation perfectly—and that’s okay. God knows we aren’t perfect. Repent, pray for strength, and move on knowing you cannot go through this alone; you must rely on God.
“For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.” — John 1:16
Coping with food is not abnormal, especially in our society. Some people will engage in coping with food and not feel guilty or ashamed, and others, probably you if you are here, are feeling ashamed or out of control, and trust me I was there for many years. But God doesn’t want you to stay in this place. You can move forward, but you cannot do it alone. Lean on Jesus, he will get you through it.
