A letter imaging 5 years without anorexia, and how it helped put things into perspective.
In January I was seeing a different therapist for a number of sessions while waited for the NHS team to get back to me. During the course of these sessions, I was asked to do a number of ‘homework‘ assignments, one of which was writing letters.
In each letter I had to imagine a different scenario five years in the future; One letter was to be written with the idea that I was five years without anorexia, and the other was the opposite.
Why?
The idea of writing letters from a place in the future, good or bad, is to help put the idea of recovery into perspective. One asks you to imagine all the ways your life has improved without anorexia, and one asks you to imagine all the ways it hasn’t if you choose to keep anorexia in your life.
It allowed me to see why I was doing this both from a positive and negative standpoint.
This was written in January 2019, and some facts will have changed.
Five Years without Anorexia.
To my therapist,
It’s been five years since we first met. I just thought I would write to tell you how I’ve changed and how my life has changed without anorexia.
Since recovering from anorexia a number of years ago Ryan and I have been able to travel to more places. We’ve visited Finland, which has been on my bucket list since I was a teenager. It was every bit as magical as I had imagined. We even got to see the northern lights.
There are a few other places we’ve been to as well; Egypt, Japan, Singapore and we’re planning to visit my extended family in Australia.
Traveling with an eating disorder was always so stressful for not only me but Ryan as well.
I never thought leaving the disorder behind would open so many doors! I still get anxious flying but I think that’ll be something I’ll always deal with. It’s just my character.
I’ve continued with to work and although this is rough sometimes, I’m managing well. I’ve worked on several side projects in regards to mental illness and wellness, specifically writing. Through doing this I’ve not only helped others but I’ve helped myself along the way.
In the future, I’m considering branching out into a career in counseling to help other eating disorder sufferers. At the moment, however, this is still only an idea and I have nothing set in stone.
Our family has grown by one more member.
We adopted another little cat to keep Willow company in her old age! She wasn’t happy but got used to the idea fairly quickly.
Self-care has become part of my daily vocabulary. I frequently practice Yoga and mindfulness as a way to calm my mind and become present with myself. I realise now that self-care is necessary and not selfish, so I try to take as much time as I can to look after myself and my mental health. I’m also managing well in regards to understanding and processing my emotions, something I was clueless about before meeting you.
Anyway, I’ve gone on long enough, I just wanted to write to you and thank you for all your help you gave me in the early stages of my recovery.
Kind regards.
** If you like what I do please consider donating to my Patreon fund. I’d like to be able to reach more of an audience so I can potentially grow this blog to be much more than it currently is. I also hope to bring freebies and eventually toolkits to you all as a way of saying thank you for your support.
94 Comments
Wow! This article really got to me. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you for reading 🙂
What a memorable way to share your progress. Thanks for sharing with the rest of us and for being so honest.
Thank you for stopping by 🙂
I like how you use mindfulness, I’m so glad it’s giving you victory! Thank you for sharing, great journey!
Thank you for stopping by 🙂
What a great strategy for creating hope by allowing your mind to glimpse a positive future. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you for popping in 😀
I think it is brave and commendable that you are able to put yourself out there in such an authentic and personable way. I have no doubt that what you share about your journey, your struggles, and how you hang on to the positive energy of moving forward will prove to be healing for you and healing for others who are battling something difficult. Thank you for taking your power and for bringing that inspiration to others. There’s a word for that- Espavo! 💙 🌹 🍃 May you continue to walk in beauty and truth.
Thank you so much for your kind words. There is nothing else for it but to be positive and move forward, the alternative doesn’t bare thinking about. xx
Wow, that’s all I can say Your an Amazing person to be able to Overcome!! Congrats!
Thank you – these are just letters imagining my life without anorexia and everything I will gain back from it.
All I see in this letter is strength and like i have up on my blog, women like you, i call kinging queens. Keep on winning and keep helping others!
http://www.kingingqueen.com
I’d never heard of this technique before but I absolutely love it. It’s such a great way to put in perspective what you want from your recovery. Thank you so much for sharing, I’m sure it will inspire so many people, not just with anorexia but with other mental health disorders too. Keep going with your recovery, you’ll get there 🙂 wishing you all the best with it xxx
Thank you very much pet! This means alot 😀
What a beautiful letter! Congratulations on your recovery and accomplishments!
Haven’t got there yet but someday! These are just letters imagining my life free and not free 🙂
What a powerful letter, made me emotional because I have been there and understood some.of the challenges
Thank you so much for stopping by and commenting. I hope I can get to the stage that, in 5 years, I am entirely free!
Wow this really tugged at my heart strings. I too am a recovering anorexic and have tried to live a healthy Vegan life for almost 14 years now. Thank you so much for sharing this. xx
Thank you so much for stopping by and showing your support. I used to be a vegetarian but it was purely because I believed I could get away with eating less calories than the average, non-vegetarian person. I would love to be able to go back there with genuine reasons but sadly I don’t think that will ever be an option.
5 years is awesome.
You should absolutely go onto counseling! The fact that you’ve been through it already means clients are more readily able to trust you.
Hopefully, the 5 years post anorexia becomes a reality rather than just an imagined letter. I’m still considering going into counseling but I’m unsure if I’ll ever be able to due to the eating disorder and accompanying mental health issues.
Love this! Thank you for sharing your journey, you are inspiring!
Thank you so much for your kind words and for your support.
Congratulations on tackling your eating disorder, I really need to work on my starve/binge issues
Thank you but this letter is me imagining having conquered my eating disorder 5 years in the future. Hopefully, it will become a reality. Thank you for stopping in and reading.
Ah, sorry, I sometimes miss a lot of important detail due to my dyslexia. I should have read it more than once
What an inspirational therapeutic practice. It’s essentially a visualization technique aided through the art of writing. This can be useful for working through so many goal oriented issues of personal challenges and fulfillment. Thanks for sharing this and so much about your journey. You are an inspiration.
Thank you so much for stopping by. I really appreciate it. Your kind words have really made my evening!
This is no easy thing to recover from but you have been very strong and aware. Thanks for sharing your journey.
Thank you for stopping by and reading.
Thank you for sharing this. It’s brave of you to be so open about something that isn’t really talked about.
Thank you very much for stopping in and reading it. I really appreciate your support.
This is an exercise that I’ve never tried but it really does sound like it’s highly beneficial at putting things into perspective. I might just have to give it a try.
This is a very inspirational post! I think I might try and do the same thing!
Thank you! I found it so helpful to think like this, I just hope it all comes true!
Thank you so much for sharing this, this sounds like an amazing thing to do and your letter really moved me.
Thank you. I personally found it very helpful to think like this.
This is beautiful. Thank you so much for sharing. ❤️
Thank you very much for showing your support. x
Lovely post. I admire you so much for allowing us along on your journey. Thank you.
Thank you so much for your kind words, and for stopping by and showing your support. x
This was such a beautiful idea and peek into a wonderful and possible future! I think this is such a great idea to do with any sort of mental illness, whether it’s depression or anxiety (like I have). I hope you don’t mind if I try this idea, just for myself. Thank you so much for sharing!
Emily | https://www.thatweirdgirllife.com
Thank you so much for stopping by and reading. I really appreciate it and I’m glad you enjoyed.
Thanks for sharing! Anorexia is often not viewed as seriously as many other similar disorders. I’m grateful that you are bringing awareness!
Thank you and thank you for reading.
Such honesty! I think being honest with yourself and acknowledging it all, especially the difficult times, is so important to befriending your body and anorexia day by day. Emotions can turn toxic when they are not let out, in speech or in writing. 🙂
I’ve done a psych degree & lots of training in social work & counseling tools but haven’t come across this idea. I love it! I’m going to use it for myself and with clients too. Thanks!
I hope it works out well for you! I would be interested in hearing your feedback on the exercise if you do manage to use it.
Thank you. And I will definitely give it a go!
Love your heartfelt share! You’ve clearly put a lot of hard work into yourself and it paid off – we all need to follow your lead more often!
Thank you!
I think this is such a fantastic idea. I can’t wait to see where you will really be in 5 years, I hope all you’ve written about becomes a reality and so much more x x
This is such a gorgeous open letter, and so truthful. Congrats on smashing through those five years and getting a cat, you really have accomplished alot x
Kayleigh Zara 🌿 http://www.kayleighzaraa.com
Thank you but I have yet to smash through the 5 years. This is just an exercise set out in therapy, but hopefully, it will be a real letter I can send someday.
I hope so too! Thank you so much for stopping by and reading.
This makes my heart soar! I’m so glad you were able to recover and start enjoying your life! I’m proud of you and the work you’ve done. Stay strong and healthy forever! Thank you for your honesty.
Thank you very much for stopping by and reading. This letter is not one I have had the privilege of sending yet as I’m still within a bad relapse, but I hope that in 5 years I can, with all honesty, send something similar to my therapist.
I really enjoyed that! Thanks for sharing
Thank you so much for stopping by and reading 😀
Thank you for sharing your story. It’s so honest and I really enjoyed reading your story and hearing your perspective.
Thank you very much for stopping by and reading 😀
I love how handle it and I adore your honesty! I really agree that we must do the best for our health.
Thank you for reading, I’m glad you found it insightful. x
I love this. What an amazing tool to aid with recovery. Have you found that it has helped you so far?
I found that it helps me put things into perspective. It helps me see what I want out of life, or rather what I think I want. I’ll be able to tell you more in 5 years 😉 Thank you for reading.
What a lovely idea, I hope it all comes true!
Likewise! Thank you for reading 😀
Wow this was amazing to read. I never thought about it in that perspective. Prayers!
Thank you x
Thank you so much for being vulnerable and sharing! You’re going to help so many people struggling with the same thing. Great read
Thank you. xx
This is such a lovely idea. Focusing on the future as a source of joy can definitely help.
Take care, I hope you are okay x
Laura / https://www.laustworld.com/
Thank you. I’m fine, just fighting to get the future I want. x
Well done for focusing on the future. This is such a raw and inspiration post. Keep writing x
Thank you very much, and thank you for reading x
This is a really interesting idea and must have been both insightful and probably quite difficult for you to write. Just remember that you are strong and brave, and that these dreams can become a reality. I always admire how you share your struggles online, but also how you manage to keep things positive and look forwards. If anyone can achieve your goals, it’s you! x
Thank you so much for such a beautiful response. This has made my day! x
I love what you just did here, writing to your therapist… such a gesture acknowledges the professional’s work beyond measure. Good luck on your journey… I’m so proud of you.
Thank you 🙂
I had no idea that you wanted to travel! I fully believe that you are going to get there <3
How is the CBT training course going? (Am I remembering correctly that you started one? Or was it something else?)
You're already helping people with your writing. I can see all this and more good things in your future Nyxie xxxx
I did start one but I have yet to get through it far enough. I got caught up with the life coaching. But I’ll have to print out the CBT notes soon.
Thank you so much for your kind words Ruth. It’s always a pleasure seeing your name pop into the comment box 🙂
Congratulations on catching up with the life coaching course! That’s so awesome!!!!
Getting there pet! I’ll have the CBT note printed soon so I can start that.
Amazing post. It always helps to be vulnerable about things sometimes x
At this point being vulnerable is just my personality type!
Thank you for stopping in and reading Jenny. Always a pleasure.
Thank you for sharing, this is an amazing post. I hope you and Ryan get to travel – Finland is on my bucket list to.
Thank you so much for reading pet. I hope we do too! x
Thank yor for this amazing post. Stay strong!
Thank you for stopping in and reading. x
Stunning, absolutely stunning. Looking forward to reading your other posts. You write beautifully 🙂
Thank you so much. This is such a beautiful comment. I really appreciate it.
आपकी Website बहुत अच्छी है। में ने आपकी Website को bookmark करके रखा है। आपके article भी काफी Useful है। Thanks for sharing very useful knowledge