6 Excuses You’re Telling Yourself About Bonfire Night Avoidance (…and a perfect retort, to help you stay recovery focused)

So you’ve been invited to a Bonfire Night shin-dig!
It might be a major community event, or just a few mates in a back garden, but either way, you’re deemed important enough to be on the guest-list.

What’s your brain thinking?

Are you seeking the excuses already?

Here’s 6 wriggle-out statements you’re telling yourself, and the appropriate recovery retort:

1 I can’t possibly go. Don’t they know how petrified I am of being around people when there’s food being served?

Petrified or not, the only way out is through. What good is staying at home going to do you?

2 I’d need to take my own Tupperware to it, because there’s no way I want to be made to eat the likes of chilli, hot dogs and toasted marshmallows.
Seriously,  listen to yourself. Are you going to be glad that was your excuse five years from now? Life is for living and having comfort food like this would be a great ‘one in the eye’ to your eating disorder.

3 I can’t go. My body doesn’t cope well with being in the cold for a long time.

Er, yep. You’re right about that. So you know what? The answer is to eat more and layer up until your body is recovered enough to self-insulate.

4 I’ll be judged if I go. People only invite me to be polite. They look at me like I’m odd.

Now that’s just your eating disorder talking because it wants you to think it’s your only friend. The only reason people will look at you is to think ‘thank goodness she actually came to this, rather than making an excuse’.

5 The loud bangs send me jumping out of my skin. I live my whole life like I’m a nervous wreck.

You do indeed. And why? Because you’re malnourished and allowing your neural pathways to be so appallingly disturbed by this illness. Beat it by pitching up and recognising what joy such occasions bring.

6 I hate to be up late because I’m so darned weary, and besides, it’ll interfere with my own food timings.

Again, there you go with an excuse, when it’s actually a reinforcement of why you should go. You’re tired all the time because you’re in a state of famine, and time-restricted eating has served you spectacularly poorly so far. Time for change, isn’t it?

*If such excuse making sounds typical of you, perhaps you need the help of our team of befrienders or therapists. Get in touch. hello@wednesdayschild.co.uk