I’m Recovering From an Eating Disorder and I’m Finding It Difficult
Recovery from an eating disorder is rarely a straight line.
Recovery from an eating disorder is rarely a straight line.
You may have made changes that once felt impossible and still find yourself frightened by a meal, a body change, a photograph, a stressful week or a comment from somebody else. Old thoughts can become louder again without meaning that everything you have achieved has disappeared.
The NHS describes recovery as something that can take time and be different for everyone. Periods when old behaviours or difficulties return can happen during recovery. If that is happening, involve your treatment team, GP or another appropriately qualified professional rather than trying to manage a deterioration alone.
Recovery can expose what the eating disorder was doing for you
An eating disorder may have become connected with control, routine, emotional coping, identity or a way of responding to difficult feelings.
As treatment changes eating behaviours, the feelings underneath them do not necessarily disappear at the same speed.
This can make recovery feel emotionally harder just when other people assume you should be feeling better. Tell your therapist or treatment team what has become more difficult, not just whether eating has changed.
A difficult week is information, not a verdict
Stress, relationship problems, work or study pressure, illness, bereavement, social comparison and changes in routine can make old thoughts or behaviours more tempting.
NICE eating-disorder treatments include planning for the end of treatment and relapse prevention. That reflects an important reality: recognising warning signs and knowing how to get support are part of recovery.
If you notice old behaviours returning, contact the professionals supporting you early rather than waiting to see how far they develop.
Your body may change before your feelings about it do
Physical recovery and body-image recovery do not always move together.
You may understand intellectually why treatment is necessary while emotionally struggling with changes in weight, shape, digestion, clothing or how visible your body feels.
Do not use social media, weight-loss content or somebody else’s body as a guide for what your recovering body should look like. Discuss body-image distress with your eating-disorder team or qualified mental-health professional.
Try not to turn recovery into another performance
Recovery can acquire its own pressure: eating perfectly, never having a difficult thought, always feeling positive about your body or proving to everybody that you are better.
That can leave you hiding difficulties because you do not want to disappoint people.
Professional treatment needs an accurate picture. Saying “I’m finding this harder again” is useful clinical information, not an admission of failure.
Keep the wider person in view
An eating disorder can shrink life around food, weight and body concerns. Recovery is also about rebuilding a life that contains more than those things.
Relationships, interests, work, study, rest, identity and ordinary enjoyment can all need time to return.
NHS guidance notes that treatment usually includes talking therapy and may include ongoing physical-health checks. Continue with the professional plan agreed for you rather than replacing it with general self-help information.
If treatment has ended but you are struggling again
Do not assume you have to become as unwell as you were previously before asking for help.
Contact your GP, previous eating-disorder service where appropriate, or another qualified healthcare professional and explain what has changed. Mention returning behaviours, physical symptoms and the effect on everyday life.
Earlier professional input can help clarify what support is now needed.
Last reviewed
6 September 2026
Important informationThis guide provides general information only and is not a diagnosis or a substitute for professional medical, eating-disorder or other healthcare advice. Eating disorders can affect physical as well as mental health, and recovery and treatment needs differ between people. If you are worried about an eating disorder, physical symptoms or a change in someone’s health, speak to a GP, eating-disorder service or another appropriately qualified healthcare professional.