Stopping an Eating Disorder in Its Tracks

This week I came across a blog with this header: “How to stop bulimia nervosa for good.” The author said the answer was: “Hypnosis is an effective treatment that can help guide you to quit this eating disorder for good.” I’m not putting down hypnosis, and even if this method works for some people, the underlying symptom(s) has not been addressed. Chances are great there will be a relapse.

Without addressing a person’s distorted perceptions, her understanding of her own identity, the work of Jesus Christ, and how she can truly resolve anger and forgive others, there is no real freedom. God has specific processes for setting people free. Disordered eating is very serious, and God is the only One who can truly set a person free for good.

Anybody suffering from unhealthy eating patterns and low self-esteem needs unconditional love, acceptance, and forgiveness. She needs to acknowledge:

1. What her actual view of God is (the Great Physician)and how to correct a distorted view of God and herself
2. Who she is--seeing herself the way that God sees her, in Christ
3. How to confront the heart of anger and then truly forgive others
4. Why suffering isn’t pleasant, but is part of the growth & redemption process
5. Nutritional keys to healing and creating a binge-free life
6. How God will free her from this and other behaviors that have power over her life

Every person’s road to recovery is different. I was set free permanently after walking through these steps (written in the book: I’m Beautiful? Why Can’t I See It? by Kimberly Davidson) and changing my lifestyle. If you struggle with an ED, you, too, have the same hope.

A Jolly Heart

It’s been said the most wasted day is that in which we have not laughed. Did you know having a good laugh actually strengthens relationship bonds and makes for a stronger heart? Laughter, like water, flushes toxins out of our body. When we laugh, we have the ability to diffuse the pain by physically increasing the body’s production of endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers.

We need to laugh more. A jolly heart is the human gift for not only a healthy heart, but for coping and survival. It breaks the ice, lowers blood pressure, reduces your risk of developing heart disease, and improves mood. Someone who laughs, particularly at herself, can never take herself too seriously. It’s the certain cure for arrogance.

We are responsible for our heart’s care. A study found that just fifteen minutes of watching a funny movie increased average blood flow by 22 percent while watching a serious drama decreased blood flow by 35 percent. Fifteen minutes of laughter and thirty minutes of exercise three times a week is good for the vascular system.

Jesus understood this. He frequently used humor and wit to make his point, like when he mentioned a camel going through the eye of a needle. If anyone had cause for being negative, it was Jesus. His life couldn’t have been easy, facing satanic opposition and human ridicule. Yet Jesus felt joy because he knew his sufferings could not compare with the joy that awaited him. The same should be true for us.

It is no surprise King Solomon advised, “Above all else, guard your heart [or affections] for it is the wellspring of life” (Prov. 4:23, my emphasis). This is serious. Impossible? God never tells us to do something we can’t do in his strength (Phil. 4:13). “Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power!” (Eph. 6:10)

Your body believes every word you say!

We do not merely experience anger in our minds, we feel it biologically in our body—our muscles tense and stomachs ache. Understanding ourselves, and other people, is critical to mind change and our overall growth. If we were to look at our brain, we may see a dark abscess caused by the stronghold of anger. The same is true for envy, anxiety, lust, fear, depression, and other emotions.

The Bible says, “A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones” (Prov. 14:30). There is a direct correlation between pessimistic, toxic thinking and illness. If we do not have a change of mind, we can actually make ourselves sick! Our body truly speaks our mind.

Becoming aware of our negative thinking patterns is the first step in being able to replace them with truth based patterns of thought. There are two things we must do daily:

(1) Identify & interrogate the negative things and lies you say to yourself, thereby enabling yourself to replace distortions with truth, found in the Word of God.
(2) Submit your thoughts to Christ. This means consciously handing over anxiety, worry, pain, and bitterness. He stands prepared to take your load and break the chains of thought-bondage if you let him.

Socrates said the unexamined life is not worth living. Through prayer and self-examination, we can learn to submit our struggles because they are impossible to conquer in our own strength. Do you have an attitude of willingness to expose and examine your flaws?

This is an excerpt from the book: Breaking the Cover Girl Mask
Check out my website: www.olivebranchoutreach.com/edindex.htlm for lots of inspiration, Scripture and help.