How Long Does Eating Disorder Recovery Really Take?

Hands up those of you who remember the Phil Collins song ‘You can’t hurry love…no you’ll just have to wait…’!

Okay, that’s us cringing in the corner and realising how old we’ve become all of a sudden.

The point?

Ah well, the point is that there’s something very pertinent in those lines, and they relate quite seamlessly to the world of eating disorder recovery and the desire to find enough ‘love’ for yourself and your body.

This week has seen Aussie model Bridget Malcolm speak out on her Instagram account, revealing that she’s still in a daily struggle with her eating disorder dialogue – even though she’s two years into recovery.

The Victoria’s Secret beauty says she knows she’s not yet cured, and that she has to maintain vigilance over herself and her behaviours.

She says candidly ‘I can’t make it go away with a quick fix….however, I am grateful that I get to choose life everyday’.

Thank goodness for honest accounts like this.

They remind us all that eating disorder recovery is not a push-button decision which leads to linear and speedy restoration of both body and mind. In fact, it’s a bumpy old journey, of highs, lows, tantrums and tears.

No-one can say how much longer your recovery will take than the person next to you, or the person you spoke to last week. It’s therefore all the more important that we all commit to the roadmap which works for us.

We need to listen to our hunger cues, spot our own triggers, and ensure we have the kind of support crew around us which will aid our pathway to a better life – and that might well mean banishing some people in our wider circle who are currently unable to provide positive support because of their own behaviours.

Well done to Bridget Malcolm for sharing her struggles so openly, and to all of you who are in the midst of your journey – yes, as Phil Collins says, love (from others, but particularly for ourselves) might not always seem as forthcoming as we would like….but it’s there to be found.

Just make sure you’re not the one sitting ‘waiting’ for it, and that instead you seize every day as a chance to get a step closer toward your recovery.

You deserve it.