In this episode I explore something I believe was profoundly important both in my journey into anorexia and other eating disorders, and in my journey out into freedom: the spiritual dimension.
At the heart of my own struggle was a deep-seated belief that who I was was not good enough—that I was unworthy and undeserving of life, nurture and good things. I share how this became entangled with the drive to be perfect, fear of failure and the pursuit of control, and how food, calories, weight and body became an apparently controllable arena when life itself felt increasingly out of control.
I also share something of the difficult period after hospital, when my attempt to be perfect had failed and the same underlying beliefs became entangled with hunger, anger, bingeing and self-punishment.
Eating disorders affect the whole person—physical, emotional, social, relational and spiritual—and I believe they need a whole-person approach to recovery. For me, discovering truth that challenged the lies, and experiencing a love and security deeper than words or intellectual understanding, became a foundational part of healing.
I explore the spiritual dimension from a Christian perspective and reflect on how my beliefs, understanding and experience within that framework both hindered and helped me at different points in my journey. I offer this for your consideration and welcome your comments, questions and feedback.
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