Eating disorder journals: your self-growth toolYour eating disorder journals are the most valuable source you have in order to find a way out of your ED. As I previously stated, outgrowing an eating disorder, implies walking a path of self-improvement. It is good to take notes on what you want learn from life. Your eating disorder journals will help you to:
What to write in your journal? Everything.
As I said before, (can't remember where I read it) Actions reveal your believes. If you want to know what you truly believe, observe your actions Everything written in the eating disorder journals, can be interpreted. So write everything you do and then try to verbalize what does that action tell about you. Let me give you an over simplified example. Let's say that after a couple of months of writing in your journal, you discover that you tend to go out to get a flan quite frequently on Sunday's afternoon. Next Sunday, around 6:00 p.m. after a day of laundry and bad T.V. you feel like having a flan. This is the moment where you ask yourself. Uhm...why do I feel like having a flan? How do I feel? Do I feel lonely? Do I feel bored? And maybe you find out that you have been alone all day long and that deep down, you have been wishing to share your Sundays afternoons with someone. You would like to feel loved, accompanied...you know...the regular stuff everyone wants...and since that is out of immediate reach, well...a flan will do it. Or maybe you are just bored. The flan somehow becomes a substitute to fill that need of sharing with others. Now you know...every time you feel lonely, like being with someone...you feel like having a flan. Aha! Now you have to work on finding a way to fill that need of company in stead of stuffing yourself up with flan. Like I said...this is an over simplified example. In this section I am sharing with you, my own eating disorder stories extracted from my journal. The cherry on top is the self analysis I made of those stories, what I discovered from them, and how that lead me to take action to make some changes in my life. I hope this helps you to get the most out of your own journal. So when you come back to your journal and detect constant, thoughts, feelings and habits, you will be able to start asking yourself: "uhm...What belief about reality does this aspect of me reveal?" and once you unveil that believe, you can find a way to change it. You will notice that some of the eating disorder stories I analyze are not all related to food. Still, non-food related behaviors reveal believes that took me to binge eating. So, it is important to consider all of your behaviors. Food-related or non-food related. Re-read your eating disorder journals from time to time. This helps you find out how far you have come, or if there is a recurrent problem to solve. As you go on, you will find your journal useful for other purposes that have nothing to do with food or weight like improving your relationship with others, etc. Find what best fits you You can use loose pieces of paper and collect them. You can use a very nice, fancy notebook that makes you feel like writing on it. Or you can just write in Word in your PC. Start! If you find it difficult or you don't feel like doing it. Start by writing only the date in a notebook every day for a period of time until you actually feel like writing a simple line. Maybe just a Hi! Share! Once I read a piece of journal of another girl and, it actually helped! I realized I didn't congratulate myself that often for not overeating as she did. So I started doing it! Please share what you find your eating disorder journals useful for, and what have they helped you to accomplish! If you would like to share any of your stories with us...that would be very helpful and appreciated!! Share my story!
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