This is a two part series on major life events and past addictions. In our previous post, we talked about the struggle that some recovering alcoholics face during major life events.
Getting engaged, your wedding day, and your pregnancy are three major life events that are supposed to be joyous, exciting, and beautiful occasions. However, if you’ve struggled with anorexia or bulimia at some point of your life, these three life events can trigger old habits.
Engagement & Wedding
Enlist professionals. If you’ve worked with a dietician and therapist previously to help you get healthy after battling an eating disorder, it might be time to ask for their help once again. Psychologist Rebecca Greif suggests focusing on being a healthy bride rather than a perfectly thin bride.
Greif says that “a perfectly thin bride only cares about losing weight regardless of how it impacts her health, emotions, or overall quality of life. A healthy bride prioritizes being emotionally and physically healthy so that she can also have a healthy marriage.” Your dietician and therapist can help you come up with a plan to be the healthy, happy bride.
Dress shopping. Surround yourself with positive people who know that you’ve lived with an eating disorder. You don’t have to invite everyone; having a large group of people with you will just add to the pressure and cause unnecessary stress. Kelsey Osgood writes about how she was forced to face her anorexia again when she became engaged; she gives excellent advice, and one piece stands out in particular: ask your seamstress to keep the numbers to herself.
Pregnancy
Be prepared. Before you become pregnant, talk with your doctor about your previous struggle with an eating disorder. Your doctor will be able to give you advice and information on how to deal with any triggers that might come up when you are pregnant.
Find your support group. Even though it’s natural and healthy to put on weight while pregnant, many women don’t like the idea of it. When you’ve struggled with an eating disorder, the idea of gaining weight can be even harder to accept and can cause stress, anxiety, and depression. This is where an excellent support group comes in handy.
Your spouse, family members, and close friends will be crucial during your pregnancy for lots of reasons, but maybe most importantly, to remind you how far you’ve come with your recovery. You are sacrificing the idea of how your body should look and feel so that a new life can be created; it’s brave, selfless, and a reminder of just how strong you are.
If your engagement, wedding, or pregnancy is making you feel like you could relapse, it’s important to speak with a therapist and get your support system in place. Your future happiness depends on you taking care of yourself today.
If you’d like to set up a time to meet up with Reka, you can contact her by phone at 402-881-8125 and by email at reka@omaha-counseling.com. Make sure to follow us on Twitter or Facebook.
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photo credit: 2011-04-02 14.23.37JH1_0415 via photopin (license)
