Back to School Eating Disorder Recovery Guide
Thinking ahead is key to protecting your recovery.
Congratulations, you made it through the summer with all its triggers, temptations, and downtime with family and friends. In our article, How Can I Manage My Eating Disorder During Summer Break, we offered eight tips to get you through the transition to home life from college. Going back to college while in recovery from an eating disorder can also be challenging (even though it’s exciting). Thinking ahead is key to protecting your recovery. So, like bookends, we have fashioned an eating disorder recovery guide to help you get through the back-to-school transition with aplomb.
Summer, fall, winter, or spring, Sanford Behavioral Health Clinical Director Tessa Sterling says it best, “We challenge our clients to eat food that feels good and brings them joy. Nourishing your body is the main priority.”
Back to School Eating Disorder Recovery Guide
Wherever you are in your recovery or your life, change brings insecurities and anxiety to the surface. Remind yourself (especially before an event) that everybody else is going through it, too. Don’t minimize your challenges: know you are not alone in them. Challenge yourself to eat foods that feel good and bring you joy!
College Goals:
- To enjoy college fully without being ruled by body image or food.
- To thrive with energy for classes, friendship, and fun.
- To protect mental and physical health and recovery.
Environment and Triggers
Dorm or Apartment Life: Roommates can present the same challenges as family members. They may have different eating or exercising habits, which can be triggering. Give yourself permission to bow out of activities that don’t feel safe. Friends can be supportive of your recovery, and setting boundaries early helps. Eating disorders thrive in secrecy, which is why at Sanford, we advocate for honest and straightforward conversation.
Dining Halls and School Schedules: Unstructured mealtimes, myriad food options, social eating, and class schedules that interfere with your meal plan can be overwhelming. Plan and pack ahead when you know you will be somewhere without access to all the necessary components of a balanced meal plan, or bring your own. Know that your plate or eating routines may look different from those of others in your group.
Culture on Campus:Â Some schools have strong fitness, diet, or body cultures. Join groups on campus or online that reinforce your recovery, not diet culture. At Sanford Behavioral Health, we offer flexible and short-term intensive outpatient programs online, designed to fit your class schedule.
Our admissions specialists are available to answer questions 24/7!
Academic and Social Stress
Pressure: College life can bring pressure, comparison, and perfectionism, which tend to fuel eating disorder patterns. If you are feeling stressed, reach out to your support system, write in a journal, or practice grounding techniques like breathwork, connecting with nature, or listening to music.
Sleep and Routine: Irregular sleep (late-night studying) can impact appetite, coping strategies, and overall mood. Maintaining your routine is another area where healthy boundaries, established early in roommate relationships, can help rectify potential issues later on. The World Health Organization found that the most important factors for well-being were sleep, social interaction, and exercise. A healthy mix of all three is the ideal (and good for recovery).
Social Comparison and Social Media: You may notice body or achievement comparisons intensify under the strain of college competition. Social media can exacerbate feelings of inadequacy by showcasing photos of happy, beautiful people who seem to have it all together. We have to remind ourselves that, one, this is not real life, and two, we can have beautiful moments! College presents an opportunity to create new feelings and express and experience those feelings.
Mental and Physical Health Support
Campus Resources: Research your school’s counseling, support groups, dietitians, or other resources you can take advantage of.
Outside Providers: If possible, continue to connect with your support system while at college. Virtual therapy options abound. Designate 2-3 safe individuals you can reach out to if you are struggling. Call, text, or email your favorite support friends and family and share your achievements or challenges.
Medical Monitoring: Maintain regular check-ins with a doctor familiar with your recovery.
Warning Signs
Food Related:Â Skipping meals, counting calories, focusing on weight and appearance, hiding food or food behaviors from others, or creating rigid rules around eating.
Exercise: Using exercise to reduce caloric intake, rather than for the joy of movement, and hiding workouts. Feeling anxious if you miss a workout is also common.
Isolation: Avoiding friends or social situations like pizza parties or birthdays, eating alone or avoiding meals altogether, and using compensatory methods to reduce caloric intake.
Thoughts: Recurrence of old patterns of guilt, shame, or self-criticism. Stress from exams, deadlines, or lack of sleep.
Recovery Toolkit
Remind yourself that recovery is not linear. It is typical to have hard days. A person can reset at any time throughout the day. It’s never too late to start over. We are allowed to feel pleasure amid pain because feelings aren’t fixed. As life fluctuates and changes, we are allowed to change too. A bad day today doesn’t promise a bad day tomorrow.
When Urges or Behaviors Feel Overwhelming:
- Call your medical or therapy professional.
- Reach out to a supportive friend or family member.
- Use mindfulness and grounding techniques.
- Stick to your meal and safety plan.
- Use campus walk-in counseling services or make an appointment.
- Attend virtual mental health outpatient programs regularly; commit to a 2-4 week tune-up session that works with your class schedule.
- In an emergency, call 988 (suicide and crisis lifeline) or go to the ER.
At Sanford Comprehensive Treatment for Eating Disorders, our experienced professionals utilize evidence-based techniques and a personalized approach to address each patient’s needs. At Sanford, we offer a range of treatment modalities, including individual therapy, group therapy, nutrition counseling, and family therapy at our behavioral health campus. If you or a loved one is struggling with an eating disorder, please contact our caring admissions specialists 24/7.
