How to Tell Your Partner About Your Eating Disorder
Decide if your partner is supportive and understanding., Decide what to share., Prepare for any reaction., Think about your needs.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Decide if your partner is supportive and understanding.
Admitting that you have an eating disorder and deciding to tell your partner can be an extremely difficult process.
You may feel embarrassed, guilty, or ashamed of your actions and your condition.
As you make the choice to tell your partner, decide if you trust them and if they will support you and understand your struggle.You need someone who will be there for you when you have difficulties, who can offer a shoulder to cry on or a listening ear, and who will not trigger you by obsessively talking about food or constantly ridiculing you. -
Step 2: Decide what to share.
You may not want to tell your partner everything about your eating disorder right away.
You may want to just tell them the basics, like the type of eating disorder that you have and what your treatment is.
Decide what you feel comfortable sharing.
For example, you may not want to share all of your unhealthy habits or your health problems just yet.
You may decide to share some health problems but keep some of your feelings and anxieties to yourself. , Your partner will react to this new knowledge when you tell them.
They may have a lot of different reactions.
Your partner may be shocked, upset, concerned, sad, angry, or relieved.
The news may be distressing to hear.
You should prepare for your partner to have a range of emotions, including negative ones.Just because your partner has a negative reaction at the beginning doesn’t mean that they won’t be supportive or understanding.
This news may be a lot for them to take in, so give them time to process and come to terms with your condition.
For example, your partner may say, "I don't understand.
You look great! I don't think you have an eating disorder" or "But you're working on losing weight and you're almost to your goal.
That's not an eating disorder."
Telling your partner about your eating disorder will probably be very stressful for you.
You may feel a lot of emotions afterwards, even if the reaction is a positive one.
Remember that regardless of your partner’s response, you have to stay focused on you and your recovery.
Continue to take care of yourself, follow your treatment plan, and focus on healing.If your partner is unable to accept the news, makes you feel bad about yourself, or treats you negatively because of your eating disorder, talk to them about that.
You may even go to counseling to try to work out the issues.
Say, "I understand your feelings.
However, your negative comments about my body and my condition hurts me and is not good for my recovery.
Can we talk about resolving this so we can communicate in a healthier way?" If your partner is unwilling to accept your condition, uses unhealthy or abusive language, or treats you in an unhealthy way, you may need to reconsider the relationship.
Your health and recovery comes first. -
Step 3: Prepare for any reaction.
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Step 4: Think about your needs.
Detailed Guide
Admitting that you have an eating disorder and deciding to tell your partner can be an extremely difficult process.
You may feel embarrassed, guilty, or ashamed of your actions and your condition.
As you make the choice to tell your partner, decide if you trust them and if they will support you and understand your struggle.You need someone who will be there for you when you have difficulties, who can offer a shoulder to cry on or a listening ear, and who will not trigger you by obsessively talking about food or constantly ridiculing you.
You may not want to tell your partner everything about your eating disorder right away.
You may want to just tell them the basics, like the type of eating disorder that you have and what your treatment is.
Decide what you feel comfortable sharing.
For example, you may not want to share all of your unhealthy habits or your health problems just yet.
You may decide to share some health problems but keep some of your feelings and anxieties to yourself. , Your partner will react to this new knowledge when you tell them.
They may have a lot of different reactions.
Your partner may be shocked, upset, concerned, sad, angry, or relieved.
The news may be distressing to hear.
You should prepare for your partner to have a range of emotions, including negative ones.Just because your partner has a negative reaction at the beginning doesn’t mean that they won’t be supportive or understanding.
This news may be a lot for them to take in, so give them time to process and come to terms with your condition.
For example, your partner may say, "I don't understand.
You look great! I don't think you have an eating disorder" or "But you're working on losing weight and you're almost to your goal.
That's not an eating disorder."
Telling your partner about your eating disorder will probably be very stressful for you.
You may feel a lot of emotions afterwards, even if the reaction is a positive one.
Remember that regardless of your partner’s response, you have to stay focused on you and your recovery.
Continue to take care of yourself, follow your treatment plan, and focus on healing.If your partner is unable to accept the news, makes you feel bad about yourself, or treats you negatively because of your eating disorder, talk to them about that.
You may even go to counseling to try to work out the issues.
Say, "I understand your feelings.
However, your negative comments about my body and my condition hurts me and is not good for my recovery.
Can we talk about resolving this so we can communicate in a healthier way?" If your partner is unwilling to accept your condition, uses unhealthy or abusive language, or treats you in an unhealthy way, you may need to reconsider the relationship.
Your health and recovery comes first.
About the Author
Sharon Baker
Creates helpful guides on lifestyle to inspire and educate readers.
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