Do you ever find yourself stuck in an identity crisis? Eating disorders, yo-yo diets, and addictions can leave us feeling completely disconnected from our True Selves, the authentic person comprised of the heart, mind, body, and soul. I want you to reflect on your life and journal how you are currently defining your identity; does your career or your relationships tend to define you? How about your body weight and shape? Sometimes we let the voices of other people's opinions mold the way we feel about ourselves, instead of being inner led and knowing who we are on the inside. If you find yourself questioning your true identity, I want you to pull out your recovery journal and do the following exercise:
1. Contemplate at what point in your life (or points) you became disconnected from your core essence. What people, situations, or external factors influenced you? Are these influences still around?
2. Now I want you to make a list of all of your inner qualities, the things that are connected to your core essence. It's very important that you remove any judgements, that you make this list through the eyes of your "IT," or Intuitive Therapist. Reply as your True Self.
3. To get you started, I'll make a list for you. What you'll find is that there are so many ways to define your identity!
History
Favorite Things
Favorite Places
Big Dreams
Something Special about Me
Keep the list going...
Support is critically important when re-discovering your identity. It's valuable to stay connected to a community that is compassionate and understands what you are going through. If you can't find a circle who identifies with your newfound image, create one yourself! However, there are many online communities that offer support.
The Body Positive
Virtual Body Image Support Group
ANAD Support Groups
Addiction Support Groups
My Resources
Podcasts make incredible recovery tools. Here are some you might find helpful:
The Appetite Podcast
Eating Disorders Recovery Podcast with Tabitha Farrar
Hooked: An LGBTIQA+ Podcast on Addiction
Wishing you a safe and healthy recovery,
Nikki DuBose
BA, CEDRC, PsyD Student
Founder & CEO, Live ED Free
Extra Support
If you need extra support on your eating disorder/addiction recovery journey, I would love to help you. If you'd like to schedule a complementary 30-minute video/phone call, please e-mail me at nikki@liveedfree.com.