What triggers an eating disorder relapse?
What is the difference between a lapse and relapse
Firstly, let's distinguish between a lapse and a relapse in eating disorder recovery.
Lapse
A lapse (or a slip) is an isolated incident where the person in recovery uses an eating disorder behaviour. People can often feel like a failure after experiencing a lapse. But you must remember that lapses are a normal part of the recovery process, particularly in the initial stages.
I know this firsthand as I experienced slips in my recovery.
Reflecting on these slips and speaking with my psychologist and partner meant I could learn and grow from my experiences. They allowed me to understand why my eating disorder developed and what steps I needed to take to move forward in recovery.
I encourage clients to reframe their slips as learning opportunities and remind them that there is no such thing as the perfect recovery. There is a reason why you've likely heard the phrase "recovery isn't linear".
How we speak to ourselves matters.
How someone talks to themselves about a slip can make the difference between continuing to work towards recovery or experiencing a relapse. In my personal and professional opinion, rarely doesn't beating ourselves up about something achieve anything other than making us feel like a failure
Relapse
A relapse is a longer episode or period of using eating disorder behaviours, after which the person may need some extra support to get back on track.
What can increase susceptibility to experiencing a lapse or relapse
Low self-esteem and/or self-worth
Poor interpersonal relationships
Immersion in diet culture
Slower response to treatment interventions
Low internal motivation to recover during or post treatment
Not being adequately weight restored upon discharge from treatment
Rapid weight loss upon discharge from treatment
Periods of change or life events that trigger stress and anxiety
Starting or ending school, university or a job
Relationship breakdown
Moving home
Becoming pregnant, experiencing pregnancy loss or after giving birth
Weight changes associated with physical health, aging or pregnancy
Physical or mental health issues
Traumatic events
Why you might experience a lapse or relapse
A lapse or relapse during eating disorder recovery is often triggered by something associated with the underlying causes of your eating disorder. Eating disorders are complex, arising from a combination of biological, psychological and cultural risk factors, meaning that what triggers one person in recovery won’t necessarily trigger another.
It might help to consider the function of your eating disorder; ask yourself, how did my eating disorder serve me?
Eating disorders generally develop for a reason
Your eating disorder may have provided a sense of having control over some aspect of your life or a sense of purpose. It may have initially helped manage anxiety, and the list goes on and on.
During recovery, it's important to identify how your eating disorder served you so you can develop healthier coping strategies, alongside learning to tolerate uncomfortable feelings and unpredictability.
How to respond to your triggers
Triggers act as your alarm system, letting you understand where the work needs to be done to move forward in your recovery.
You are not powerless to your triggers
Triggers are not your fault, but you are responsible for how you respond to them. Responding to a trigger by using an eating disorder behaviour may help you feel better in the moment, but it only serves to keep you stuck in your eating disorder.
What can you do instead?
Opposite action; eat the food, skip the workout, don't weigh yourself (better yet, throw out the scale). Doing the opposite action challenges your eating disorder self while strengthening your healthy self so your healthy self can begin to take charge.
Take aways
Don’t shame or guilt yourself for feeling triggered or responding to a trigger by using an eating disorder behaviour.
Experiencing triggers and lapses is a normal (and essential) part of recovery.
What matters is how you respond to them. Use them as learning opportunities, reflect on them, discuss them with your support/s and consider how you can move forward in your recovery.
I’m thankful for the triggers and lapses I experienced during my recovery because without these experiences, I don't think I'd be recovered today.