The Three T's for a Better Tomorrow...
Retraining your brain - and self-awareness.
Please always seek medical advice from the experts in all situations as this is my opinion and no one else’s. Obviously not everyone will react in the same way – but it’s worth a try.
I used various techniques to help myself recover alongside all the help from the hospital and experts and this is what I have learned in a nutshell.
This is also from listening to literally hundreds of hours of talks by doctors, psychologists, eating disorder experts, patients as well as listening to podcasts, Tedtalks and talking to people face to face.
I wanted to share this as I’m asked at least once a day if there is anything specifically I used to aid my recovery and return me with all my happiness and life sparkle.
The mind is very complex as is anorexia, addiction to the behaviour, obsession, depression, over exercising and anxiety. To me they were all part of the mental illness I had. Anorexia to me was both biological and mental factors combined.
I could not differentiate between them all as they were all driving me to the main goal – to be the best anorexic in the world.
Choice is something we can make each day and it’s controlled in our conscious mind which is 30% of the mind we use. It’s your subconscious mind that’s the other 70% and controls things you are not choosing like breathing, and habitual behaviours (paradigms) , driving home without even realising etc.
Humans are creatures of habits…we hear this all the time and it’s very true. Scientist say if you do something over 13 times it’s starting to become a habit.
For someone with any addiction or compulsion this is self-fulfilling and quickly becomes life effecting over months or years. Then the battle has to begin to undo all of those brain habits that are now in your subconscious mind.
If you have developed a disordered eating behaviour this has been hard programmed into the sub- conscious brain with huge regimented, complex rigour and painstaking precision. This would also have taken a very long time to develop and master.
Therefore the tenacity you need to switch it back is going to take the same amount of effort – just in the other direction. If you’re reading this and you’re in the grips of anorexia you will exactly know how much effort will be required.
But great news!!!! It can be done!!!! Make it happen!!!
You need to use these three T's to get started…
Trust
You need to trust your own original voice that lives in your head and is being held a prisoner in the mind (sometimes your don’t know you’re in prison until you become free). You can still hear that voice. Have trust that it’s the right one.
You may now have a stronger, booming voice drowning out all you know, but you have to trust your instinct.
Trust your doctor, councillor, friend, family member. Whoever you trust – please let them help you and support you. You must know and believe they are helping you and only want what’s best for you. The enemy is the illness not them.
Your illness is not your best friend. Also, trust someone that loves you. Your instinct is always right.
Truth
You need to be honest with yourself as deep down you know the truth and it is that you have a problem and a mental illness.
You have to tell the truth to the people who love you and are helping you. I know this is incredibly hard as intrinsically you want to protect your illness with your life. However, if you're being honest you will know it has potential to end your life –hence why you have to relinquish the control to become well again.
Tenacity
This is the hardest thing you need. You need it in heaps and without the other T’s it all falls apart. It’s the triangle of recovery I like to call it as you to have them all in motion and work harder than you have ever worked to get there.
It can be done – it will be done!!!
You must never give up. Even when you want to cry and run back to it like a child to a loving mums protective arms - you can't. It's toxic and is not your friend. There is no protection in the illness. It will only steal your time, soul, identity and sparkle.