How to Use Journaling to Challenge Eating Disorder Thoughts with Compassion
Written by: Allyson Inez Ford, MA, LPCC | Founder of Eating Disorder & OCD Therapy San Diego
Why Journaling is a Powerful Tool for Eating Disorder Recovery
Journaling helps challenge eating disorder thoughts by creating space between your immediate feelings, urges and your actions, allowing you to build awareness and compassion for your struggle- instead of the relentless self criticism that so often accompanies an eating disorder.
Eating disorder thoughts can feel intense, persuasive and urgent- especially during moments of vulnerability or emotional distress. Over time, these thoughts can begin to feel fused with your identity, making it hard to tell where you end and the disorder begins. In my own recovery from anorexia (and in the recovery of many of my clients) journaling what I was feeling and thinking helped wedge a space between me and my eating disorder. It helped me tune in with what was going on inside. Building awareness is a first step towards compassion, and compassion is key to lasting behavioral change.Additionally, instead of trying to argue with or suppress thoughts, journaling allows you to observe them from a bit more distance. This aligns with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and mindfulness-based approaches to eating disorder recovery, which focus on awareness, agency in choice, compassion and values-based responding rather than merely performing recovery for others.
When thoughts are written down, they often lose some of their urgency, also allowing more time and space to make an intentional decision about what you do next, especially in the moment of an urge or difficult feeling.
7 Compassionate Journal Prompts for Eating Disorder Recovery
These prompts are designed to support awareness and agency in your healing process from an eating disorder, not shame or self criticism- I’m sure you already have enough of that! If some of these do not make sense to you or your recovery, that’s okay! Not everyone resonates with their eating disorder being separate from them, for example. Just write about why the question doesn’t resonate for you, and what that might mean about your unique recovery journey- or skip it and go to the next question.
How and when did my eating disorder start? What else was going on in my life at that time?
List anything you can remember about that time. What was your day to day like? Who was in your life, who was not in? Where were you living? Were you in school, work or a transition period of life?
Since I wasn’t born with an eating disorder, how might I begin to notice when I am thinking and acting in line with my eating disorder versus my true self?
Externalizing the disorder reduces self-blame and increases clarity. Identify any thoughts, feelings, beliefs or body sensations that signal your eating disorder is guiding your actions. For example: “I know my eating disorder is running the show when I start to body check and pick apart every flaw I see.”What is one way I can show myself compassion for struggling with an eating disorder instead of beating myself up?
Self-compassion is a necessary ingredient for recovery. If it’s hard to imagine how you would be compassionate, think about how you would talk to a friend struggling with an eating disorder. What things might you tell them about their struggle? Any words of encouragement? Validation for how hard the recovery process is? Then turn these responses towards yourself. If it feels impossible, write about why it feels difficult to give yourself the same compassion that you’d give for a friend.Eating disorders are often misguided attempts to protect us. What might mine be trying to protect me from feeling right now?
This reframes behaviors as signals rather than personal failures. Notice what usually comes before using an eating disorder behavior: is it loneliness, comparing yourself to others and not feeling good enough, feeling rejected or overwhelming sensory input (smells, taste, texture, noise level, etc)? Whatever comes before acting on an urge, is likely part of what the eating disorder is trying to protect you from.Even if I end up acting on an eating disorder urge, what are three coping skills I can try first to create distance from the eating disorder?
This supports a harm-reduction approach and moves away from all-or-nothing thinking. Many people cannot go ‘cold turkey’ with giving up restricting food, bingeing or purging- which is why delaying the urge and practicing new coping skills first can be a more accessible and important first step in creating distance between you and the eating disorder.If I keep acting on these thoughts or urges, what might my life look like in one, three, or five years?
This prompt helps reconnect you to long-term values and goals. If it feels inaccessible to imagine your future self, make it shorter term. Write about how your eating disorder impacting you now- your energy level, your brain space to think of other things, your relationships, the ability to be spontaneous, feeling faint or dizzy, feeling less present for other things in your life, etc.What are my top five reasons for recovery, and how can I stay connected to them while I ride out this urge?
Your reasons for recovery are unique to you and may change over time. In my own recovery, I found it extremely important to keep my list of reasons I wanted to recover on my phone, written on paper and taped on my table where I ate, etc.
You can come back to these questions as many times as you want! You can also write your own. I encourage you to process these questions with an eating disorder therapist, dietitian, peer supporter, or trusted loved one. Even if you only answer one of these questions, you took a step towards recovery and that’s something to celebrate. Small steps are huge feats when it comes to fighting against one of the most deadly mental illnesses.
Your thoughts do not mean you are Failing at Recovery
Having eating disorder thoughts does not mean recovery is not working. We do not choose our thoughts (unfortunately). What matters is how you respond to them and that response can be practiced. Journaling is one way to practice responding with awareness instead of reactivity. The insight that can be built from journaling can also help aid your recovery forward. When we make the functions and triggers for our eating disorder conscious, we gain agency in what happens next.
How Therapy Can Support Eating Disorder Recovery
Journaling can be an important support, but eating disorders won’t be healed through journaling alone. Eating disorder therapy can help support your recovery process in many ways. In therapy, you can:
Learn to identify and externalize eating disorder thoughts
Develop mindfulness and distress-tolerance skills for eating disorder urges
Explore the emotional, relational and systemic roots of your eating disorder
Reduce shame and increase self-compassion and self-trust
Reduce isolation and increase a sense of security in relationships (your therapist may be your first safe relationship and that is ok!)
Have accountability for reaching certain goals in recovery
Work on underlying attachment needs and trauma that may be fueling your eating disorder
Identify accommodations for sensory overwhelm if this is part of why you use the eating disorder (common for neurodivergent people)
Assess for any underlying medical or mental health issues fueling the eating disorder (Mast Cell Activation Syndrome or gastrointestinal issues are super common, as well as OCD, PTSD and ADHD)
Looking for an eating disorder therapist in San Diego?
At Eating Disorder and OCD Therapy San Diego, we take an integrative, evidence based, neurodiversity affirming and trauma-informed approach to eating disorder treatment. We help you define what recovery means to YOU. We are your guide and companion, offering helpful tools, insights and wisdom along the way. Feel free to reach out to us to schedule a free 15 minute consultation call to get started. We offer in-person eating disorder therapy in San Diego as well as virtual eating disorder and OCD therapy throughout CA, FL, MD, TN, UT & WA.
