We all know the saying about what happens when we assume… but while we should never make assumptions about people or their past, every method of eating disorder recovery depends on a set of core facts or beliefs. These facts or beliefs are also known as "assumptions" -- and without them, recovery methods like EDIT™ could not work.
If you're new to the EDIT Method, it's important to understand the key assumptions that EDIT™ is built on. (There are eight of them!) By understanding these assumptions, you'll get a better idea of how EDIT™ can help you recover and whether it's the right method for you.
1. Eating disorders begin with diets.
Eating disorders do not occur overnight; they represent a progression of disordered thoughts and behaviors that escalate over time. The EDIT™ Method assumes that this decision to diet is the first step in the eating disorder chain. Even if we decide to diet with the best of intentions, all diets are rooted in disordered eating behaviors that ask us to ignore our body's innate wisdom in favor of following a strict set of rules.
2. Recovery requires saying NO to diets.
Everywhere we go, we are surrounded by cultural messages that tell us dieters have "willpower," "discipline," and "strength." Living in such a society, saying no to dieting is one of the most difficult things you can do -- and also one of the bravest. The EDIT™ Method assumes that there is no such thing as being fully recovered while dieting. In order to break free from your eating disorder, you must also break free from the chains of diet culture.
3. Eating disorder behaviors are coping mechanisms.
Eating disorders are almost never about food or weight. The EDIT™ Method depends on the assumption that eating disorder behaviors originate in an attempt to exert control over internal emotions and/or external stressors. In other words, eating disorder behaviors are coping mechanisms.
4. Recovery replaces eating disorders with healthy coping skills.
While eating disorder behaviors are coping skills, they are coping skills that rarely serve us. In fact, they often come with dangerous -- or even deadly -- side effects. However, in order for eating disorder recovery to be successful, we can't just get rid of the disordered eating behaviors. Instead, the EDIT™ Method works by replacing disordered eating habits with healthy coping skills. These coping skills serve a similar purpose as the eating disorder behaviors -- but without the physical and psychological risks.
5. Eating disorder behaviors are compulsive.
The dictionary defines 'compulsive' as "resulting from … an irresistible urge, especially one that is against one's conscious wishes." The EDIT™ Method depends on the assumption that eating disorder behaviors are compulsive. Not only do they result from an irresistible urge, but they also go against our conscious values and desires.
6. Recovery involves conscious choice.
The good news for eating disorder recovery? Because disordered eating behaviors contradict our conscious wishes, we can consciously choose a different path. In choosing the EDIT™ Method, you are making the conscious choice to develop healthier coping mechanisms. However, EDIT™ also requires us to continue making conscious choices every day that support our recovery.
7. Eating disorder behaviors are a "false self" identity.
For many of us struggling with disordered eating, our eating disorder behaviors can become our identity. The EDIT™ Method believes that this identity is a "false self." In other words, our eating disorder thoughts and behaviors are separate from who we truly are and what we believe.
8. Recovery is reclaiming one's "true self."
If eating disorder behaviors are a "false self" identity, then recovery allows us to reclaim our "true self." According to the EDIT™ Method, by breaking free from the clutches of disordered eating, we can rediscover who we really are and start living a life that better aligns with our values and goals.
For someone in the clutches of disordered eating, accepting these assumptions on your own can feel daunting -- or even impossible. An EDIT™-certified recovery coach can help you reframe your beliefs and support you throughout your recovery journey. If you're ready to embrace these eight core assumptions and begin reclaiming your "true self" through the EDIT™ Method, set up a consultation with me today, space is limited. Don't see the date/time you'd like? Email me at nikki@liveedfree.com and let me know what date/time you are requesting. I will do my best to accommodate your consultation request.