Welcome, Home, my Winter Breakers! As I scrolled through everyone's reels, stories, posts, and tik toks-all I could say was YOWZA! You all looked like you had a blast! Fun in the sun. Dancing all night. Poolside selfies. Beach chair group shots. Even action-packed water sports! I love nothing more than seeing the teenagers of our communities having the times of their lives. Our parents work so hard to be able to take their families away, so for them to get to see the 'fruits of their labor,' so to speak, must feel amazing. And. End. Scene.
Same Trip. Same pics and reels, selfies, and tik-toks. Smiles and laughter. Just some differences. Some significant substantial, often unspoken differences. How often were those pictures taken and altered before they got the group's approval? How often while sitting on your beach chair did you watch others walk by and compare your body to theirs, wishing you could switch? How many meals did you skip? How often did you look in the mirror and put yourself down because you didn't like what you saw?
How did you feel at night during the parties when you weren't getting the attention you wanted and felt overlooked? Just imagine how many memories you have missed out on thinking about not being 'skinny' enough or obsessing over food and your weight.
Think of all the vacations, events, outings, and conversations with friends and family you were too checked out of because your mind was busy torturing yourself about what you ate or the workout you missed. Reminding yourself over and over again that you are NOT ENOUGH.
What is happening in our world is nothing short of a crisis.
Weeks before these school breaks, my patients throw away months of hard work and resort to unhealthy restrictive eating patterns for this "one week ." But it doesn't end there. Coming home and regrouping can easily take 6-8 weeks because our eating disorders remember how good it feels for them to be back in control. We have to start our fight all over again, only to bring us into Pesach break, where we repeat the cycle. And then again after the holidays, we have just enough time to do it all over again, to prepare for the Summer. It's a vicious never-ending cycle.
If anything said here resonates with you or someone you know, please do not hesitate to contact Dalia Abott and Associates for assistance.
Please understand you are never alone.