21/05/2024
But the thoughts feel so real and that voice in my head feels like me!
When trying to differentiate between you and your eating disorder it can feel really difficult.
The reason it can feel like those thoughts are so real is because of something called the ‘confirmation bias’. This means paying attention to thoughts and feelings that back up your beliefs e.g. I am not good enough or I need to be skinny to be happy.
Your subconscious mind is essentially designed to look for proof of what it already believes and will filter out anything that doesn’t fit.
When we experience a thought that is in alignment with the self-image we hold we are more likely to overlook the fact that it is just a thought and we assume it to be true.
So that restrictive thought of ‘I can’t eat that because it has too many calories’ will be confirmed by that self-image of only feeling good enough once you have lost weight.
This is why it feels so real! ⚠️Our mind is backing up the stories we are telling ourselves internally with proof from our environment. But this simply is not true or real, it just ‘feels’ that way.
There are some simple ways to differentiate between your true self and your eating disorder WITHOUT getting caught up in the context.
Your eating disorder ⚠️:
1. Comes from fear and scarcity
2. Focuses on the negatives- don’t, can’t, won’t, shouldn’t
3. Time-dependent- it will either ruminate in the past or project into the future
4. It is stuck in your head, consuming your mind
Your true self❤️:
1. Comes from love, growth and expansion
2. Focuses on the positives- can, will, want, need, choose
3. Totally present
4. It is more of a feeling than a thought
The key is to start WATCHING the conversation in your head and play the observer of your thoughts. Get curious about what structure these thoughts are in to tell you which part they are coming from.
How loud has your eating disorder been today? What are some of the things it has been tellin?