Nourish Your Recovery: The Vital Role of Meal Support in Eating Disorder Treatment
Living with an eating disorder can be an incredibly challenging and isolating experience. I’ve had many clients over the years tell me I’m the first person they have spoken with about their relationship with food.
One client was Sarah, a 24-year-old woman who had been restricting food since college. Over the years, she had carefully kept her food restriction private, and had been gradually attending fewer social events because of the focus on food. A turning point in her commitment to recovery was her cousin's wedding. Initially, she was tempted to skip the event so her family wouldn't see her food behaviors. Just as she was about to drop the RSVP card in the mail, she had an epiphany: she was lonely and isolated, and didn't want to live the rest of her life this way. Along with therapy and nutrition support, meal support was one of the keys to her recovery.
Meal support is simply having someone present during meals to offer assistance. People with eating disorders often experience anxiety when it comes to eating in general or to specific types of food. This heightened anxiety frequently leads to avoidance or the adoption of compensatory behaviors.
However, recovery necessitates consuming regular meals that have a wide range of foods. It can be challenging to navigate meal times due to the anxiety and persistent thoughts surrounding food. Having support during these moments can be truly transformative.
Adding meal support can help encourage recovery in a variety of ways:
Normalizing Eating Patterns: Incorporating meal support into treatment helps normalize eating patterns by providing a safe and structured environment for individuals to practice regular and balanced meals. This support enables patients to challenge their fears and anxieties surrounding food, engage with others who are also struggling, and establish regular eating habits.
Practice Distress Tolerance: Meal support can be a rehearsal for eating in other situations. Think of it as practice, much like you practice singing or practice calligraphy. Meal support allows you to stretch your distress tolerance, increasing your ability to handle food in a variety of situations.
Accountability and Relapse Prevention: Meal support plays a fundamental role in accountability throughout the recovery process. Having a supportive team to monitor progress helps individuals stay on track and avoid relapse. The presence of professionals during meals allows for immediate interventions if there are signs of challenging behaviors or potential setbacks. This added layer of support significantly increases the chances of maintaining recovery and reduces the risk of relapse.
Meal Support as a Learning Experience: Incorporating meal support into treatment is not just about ensuring individuals eat enough; it is an opportunity for education and growth. By working closely with professionals, individuals can learn about nutrition, understand their individual dietary needs, and explore intuitive eating. Meal support provides a safe space for individuals to challenge food rules and expand their food choices, ultimately empowering them to develop a healthier relationship with food.
Building a Supportive Community: Recovery from an eating disorder is a journey that should not be traveled alone. Meal support allows individuals to interact with peers who are also going through the recovery process. Sharing experiences, challenges, and triumphs can create a sense of community and foster a support network that is essential for long-term success. Knowing that you are not alone in your struggles can provide immense comfort and motivation during difficult times.
Sarah participated in meal support every day for dinner for a few months, and each week told me how this daily check-in helped her stay on target with her recovery. With intentional work, eating became easier both during meal support and by herself. In a month, she felt comfortable enough to reach out to a long-time friend and they arranged to get dressed up and go out for dinner together. This laid the foundation for the next steps in recovery. She went to her cousin’s wedding, danced, ate, and had a great time. Now, she seeks out meal support on an as-needed basis, popping in when she needs that additional social engagement.
While Sarah had a positive experience with meal support, other participants have initially expressed feelings that meal support was punishment – something that their providers were encouraging because they weren’t doing well enough. That’s far from the case. In reality, meal support is more like a therapeutic meal party, filled with games and conversation about the latest movies and craft projects. We even invite furry friends to join because pets provide additional support and a welcome distraction. In this judgment-free zone, you’re welcome to be with food in a safe space where you can work on challenging foods, pacing, or whatever else is important to you in recovery at this time.
We invite you to join Project Heal and Clinician’s Incubator for meal support because we’ve seen again and again that adding meal support to a patient’s treatment plan makes eating feel more normal. Plus, meal support gives individuals the chance to connect with others in a supportive community, making sure they have all the necessary resources and positive reinforcement on their path toward lasting recovery.
Meal support sessions are live, professionally facilitated, virtual drop-in group meals that create a safe space for those at an outpatient stage of eating disorder recovery. Sessions are offered seven days a week, 3-4 times/day via Zoom, and are designed for people who are medically stable and are at an outpatient level of support. You’ll need access to a phone, tablet, or computer that has video and a camera, and a quiet space to eat. We look forward to seeing you!
