Is it possible to heal from body image disorders when you are very ill with them?
This is a great question, one that many would debate. In my observation and humble opinion, I would say it is possible but much harder to heal while you are going through the worst of it.
The body, mind, and spirit need some level of safety before you can immerse yourself in healing. When going through body image disorders, we constantly feel unsafe due to our thoughts and behaviors that fuel the disorder. So, while it is possible, it can only happen when some safety boundaries are set in place.
Here’s a scenario of how it could work when someone comes to us at their worst point in their mental health.
EXAMPLE:
A 14-year-old male, no longer leaving the house, has been diagnosed with muscle dysmorphia and avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder. Let’s call this person Max.
Max comes to us with a supplement addiction that he can’t or won't stop, and he uses weights at home. Max has stopped attending school and refuses to go out until he reaches a certain level of body muscle.
His day usually goes like this: waking up, going on YouTube/TikTok for videos of men, weights, bodybuilding, and supplements, having a panic attack, getting up, looking in the mirror at all angles, feeling more panic, feeling overwhelmed, and starting his strict training regime. He eats lots of supplements, searches endlessly for steroids on the black web, and so on. His day is usually a cycle of social media, supplements, weights, and exercise all in his room. Max only leaves his room to use the bathroom and find food in the kitchen.
He has been to A&E five times in the last year due to a racing heart and palpitations. He refuses more tests and only goes to A&E because he can’t cope with the symptoms.
When Max finally decides to seek support and comes to us, he is having six panic attacks a day and says he wants to inject himself with steroids and will keep trying to get them.
As you can see, Max is possibly at his lowest, and it is very difficult to reach someone in this state. So, what do we do?
First, we ask Max: Do you want to heal from this? Secondly, we ask Max: What makes you feel safe currently? He tells us his room makes him feel safe, his parents, his baggy clothes, and so on. So, you can see that Max has some level of safety by his side already. With that safety and Max wanting to heal, we have a chance.
Feeling safe and wanting to heal are powerful elements for someone’s healing, and they can carry you through. Of course, it would be great for teens to come to us when they are feeling okay about themselves, but that is never the case. Usually, teens reach us when they are really struggling to cope.
Once Max is onboard with us, we can find out what support he needs. We will then show Max what stage he is at within the four stages of the healing programme that we use. Once Max can see where he is on his journey, he is more likely to reach the final and fourth stage as it looks and feels more reachable for him. We do this by working with him on his thoughts, internal dialogue, beliefs, and habits. But before we do all of that, we give Max some healthy coping strategies so that he can walk this journey with us, feeling safe and going at his own pace.
The healing journey is as long as Max wants it to be. If you are a parent reading this and your child has the safety element in place but is not ready to heal, don’t despair. Safety is one of the most fundamental needs of our existence, and I know you will be doing all you can to ensure that your child feels safe.
If your child feels up to this, ask them if they would like to watch our free workshop for ages 11 and up. Always accompany them with this, but allow them to write their thoughts down in privacy.
You can find our workshop on Body Image Coach's Vimeo channel here
If you would like to refer someone, please get in touch.
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