Are you feeling empowered? If not, there may be hindrances and obstacles on your path that keep you from attaining your goals and maximizing your potential. An eating disorder may be one of them.
For persons who are willing to commit to a contemporary treatment plan for Bulimia nervosa, it is time to look more closely into the word, “empowerment” and what it means. Empowerment-based treatment for eating disorders offers promising results and long-lasting benefits.
Personal Empowerment
The key aspects of personal empowerment are knowing yourself well enough to be able to set realistic goals and making the right choices for your well-being. An individual responds uniquely to experiences and challenges based on how self-aware they are, and how well they know of their strengths and weaknesses. Achieving personal empowerment is a journey in itself. A person who seeks to be empowered is one who opens up to the revelation of their true self, and willing to accept their abilities and limitations.
The Virtue of Courage
It takes more than a drop of courage to aim for personal empowerment. Persons with eating disorders who seem to be failing in their attempts at recovery must not feel discouraged. It does not help to blame oneself for not having enough courage to say no to the voices in their head. Courage is not simply walking into the fire without any regard for the consequences.
On the contrary, courage is stepping forward into adverse conditions with a full realization of the possible outcomes — both good and bad. Courage is the ability to get something done despite the possibility of failure. Courage is the backbone of empowerment.
Coping with Change
Recovery is a process, and many factors can influence the outcome. Internal and external concerns may arise that hinder treatment or help it progress. Individuals who are on the road to recovery deal with many changes, not only in their daily routine but also in the tumult of their emotions. Treatment approaches that address underlying triggers could give rise to overwhelming feelings and memories.
All these could be going on while a person works on gaining empowerment. Having the presence of mind to accept changes as they come, and allowing them to happen could be helpful in maintaining boundaries set and in fulfilling expectations.
A Sense of Self-Worth
Building a sense of identity that is not marred by feelings of guilt, shame, and regret takes time and effort. It starts with developing self-awareness with the help of other people — family, friends, and a multidisciplinary team of health professionals. In recognizing self-worth and developing confidence, a person recovering from an eating disorder would be more equipped to stay on course.
Recovery may take a lifetime for some, and without a strong sense of self, it is easy to go astray. Self-awareness and belief in oneself are key elements in strengthening one’s new identity — a person who is healthy and in control.
Empowerment-based treatment for eating disorders may not be enough in itself, but when offered in conjunction with other interventions, it could help a person attain recovery and sustain it for life.
