An eating disorder is not a brain disease.

You react in certain situations in exactly the same way over and over again.

The advantage is that there is nothing wrong with you. The disadvantage is that learned automatic reactions can be difficult to unlearn. You essentially have to practice doing exactly the opposite when you find yourself in that situation.

For example:

A certain amount of emotional stress → suddenly, you are completely focused on counting calories.

These kinds of automatic reactions are incredibly annoying. Especially because it is easy when you are not stressed, but difficult when you find yourself in a stressful situation again. It does not happen all the time, but only occasionally.

Why we do this

When you are a child, you teach yourself all kinds of things. You have to learn how to talk. How to walk. We learn millions and millions of things that we still do every day. All of this takes energy. So there is a good chance that you teach yourself to respond in a certain way in certain situations.

Especially when you have experienced something unpleasant. We simply do not have the time to consciously analyze everything we have learned. Yes, afterwards, like I am doing now. But not in the moment itself.

It is a bit like reaching for substances every time your stress levels rise. The difficult part is recognizing that pattern and then choosing a different path.

Good ways to practice this

Choose situations in which you deliberately create a lot of stress. For example, a combat sport. This helps you learn different reactions. You deliberately choose the stress yourself, which means you can use what you learn in other situations as well.

I am a blessed man. I enjoy thinking about thinking.

I already have everything.

In this universe, what you think about it matters. If it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work. Then you name it, and we look for a solution together.

Thoughts come in rhythmic waves, did you know that?