First off, thank you SO much for your support on yesterday's post - you are all incredible humans!
Hello beautiful humans!
Today's post is going to be focusing on how to cope with an Eating Disorder or recovery from an ED at university. This is something that personally I have had to tackle with, and still have to do on a daily basis - but when I first started uni, there wasn't much support or advice out there.
It's not going to be a very long post, because I don't want people to get bored haha, however I have been able to chat with a number of people about their experiences with an ED at university, and they have all GEMS and provided me with some advice to pass on in this post!
University can be a prime time for ED's to develop, or come out of their sneaky hiding places. Most students move away from home, meaning that their ED's are given the opportunity to sneak in. Especially when you are cooking for yourself, and not under the watchful eye of your parents/carers.
As someone who has had to drop out of university due to not being able to cope, I feel that I can give some good practical advice. SO my personal top 5 tips for coping with an ED at university are...
1) Plan your meals - it makes food shopping less stressful, and you save money!
2) Don't isolate yourself - surround yourself with people who you love and who love you!
3) Try and get some therapy, whether that's through uni, the doctors or private.
4) Prioritise your health over your studies - take mental health days when you need them.
5) Check in with your friends- Let the people around you know how best to help you - but don't rely on them to keep you in recovery. They are not professionals, just your friends.
Now some advice from some of my nearest and dearest who have all struggled with an ED at uni (all have given me permission to use their names). I am so grateful to them all for giving up their time to support EDAW!!
“Don’t be scared to share with people, however be aware
of potential misunderstandings that people may have about eating disorders.
Don’t let your free time gobble you up as the excess of time allows for disordered
habits to be picked up. Keep to a routine if you can. Also communicate with
your family and friends” - Jess
"Surround yourself with people who support you, whether that's housemates, course friends or society friends. It's your choice if you choose to disclose your difficulties, but I found it easier as I got to know people ." - Louisa
“Try and be aware of your own early warning signs, if you feel like you are “slipping”, your eating disorder is trying to take some control - don’t be afraid to reach out. University’s have some amazing support and what harm can it do to use them? make sure you talk to loved ones or those you trust and don’t let your ED win. You deserve your life” - Niamh
“Telling a member of department- not my personal tutor but another staff member I felt closer to - opened the door to the uni counsellors which filled a gap and prompted me to see a doctor about it. if you need an extension on a deadline because you are making time for therapy that is okay and completely acceptable.“ - Joanne
“My uni had a really good transition process where I was able to talk to the student support team before I started. I was able to find out about the support options available and put strategies in place. I also joined a lot of societies in that first year, so that I could keep myself busy and build a strong network of supportive and like-minded people around me. Finally, remembering my goal really motivated me - I wanted to be a music teacher but first I needed a music degree and had to have the physical and mental strength to achieve that.” - Tasha
All of the advice here is obviously just from people who have struggled with an eating disorder at university. None of us are professionals, but we care about uni students getting support when they most need it.
So much love,
Dais x
Hello beautiful humans!
Today's post is going to be focusing on how to cope with an Eating Disorder or recovery from an ED at university. This is something that personally I have had to tackle with, and still have to do on a daily basis - but when I first started uni, there wasn't much support or advice out there.
It's not going to be a very long post, because I don't want people to get bored haha, however I have been able to chat with a number of people about their experiences with an ED at university, and they have all GEMS and provided me with some advice to pass on in this post!
University can be a prime time for ED's to develop, or come out of their sneaky hiding places. Most students move away from home, meaning that their ED's are given the opportunity to sneak in. Especially when you are cooking for yourself, and not under the watchful eye of your parents/carers.
As someone who has had to drop out of university due to not being able to cope, I feel that I can give some good practical advice. SO my personal top 5 tips for coping with an ED at university are...
1) Plan your meals - it makes food shopping less stressful, and you save money!
2) Don't isolate yourself - surround yourself with people who you love and who love you!
3) Try and get some therapy, whether that's through uni, the doctors or private.
4) Prioritise your health over your studies - take mental health days when you need them.
5) Check in with your friends- Let the people around you know how best to help you - but don't rely on them to keep you in recovery. They are not professionals, just your friends.
Now some advice from some of my nearest and dearest who have all struggled with an ED at uni (all have given me permission to use their names). I am so grateful to them all for giving up their time to support EDAW!!
“Don’t be scared to share with people, however be aware
of potential misunderstandings that people may have about eating disorders.
Don’t let your free time gobble you up as the excess of time allows for disordered
habits to be picked up. Keep to a routine if you can. Also communicate with
your family and friends” - Jess"Surround yourself with people who support you, whether that's housemates, course friends or society friends. It's your choice if you choose to disclose your difficulties, but I found it easier as I got to know people ." - Louisa
“Try and be aware of your own early warning signs, if you feel like you are “slipping”, your eating disorder is trying to take some control - don’t be afraid to reach out. University’s have some amazing support and what harm can it do to use them? make sure you talk to loved ones or those you trust and don’t let your ED win. You deserve your life” - Niamh
“Telling a member of department- not my personal tutor but another staff member I felt closer to - opened the door to the uni counsellors which filled a gap and prompted me to see a doctor about it. if you need an extension on a deadline because you are making time for therapy that is okay and completely acceptable.“ - Joanne
“My uni had a really good transition process where I was able to talk to the student support team before I started. I was able to find out about the support options available and put strategies in place. I also joined a lot of societies in that first year, so that I could keep myself busy and build a strong network of supportive and like-minded people around me. Finally, remembering my goal really motivated me - I wanted to be a music teacher but first I needed a music degree and had to have the physical and mental strength to achieve that.” - Tasha
All of the advice here is obviously just from people who have struggled with an eating disorder at university. None of us are professionals, but we care about uni students getting support when they most need it.
So much love,
Dais x
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