Recovering from an eating disorder can be long and complex.<\/p>\n
Treatment<\/a> typically focuses<\/a> on reducing the unhelpful behaviours and thoughts that characterise<\/a> these disorders. These include extreme dieting, binge eating, purging, negative body image, and \u2013 in some (but not all) cases \u2013 having a very low body weight.<\/p>\n But when recovery focuses on a clinical checklist of symptoms, such as reaching a healthy weight, it may ignore other important aspects<\/a> of getting better.<\/p>\n Eating disorders are not just physical. They are complex mental health conditions that severely disrupt people\u2019s relationship with themselves, their bodies and other people. So the psychological aspects of recovery, and the way people feel about it, also plays an important role.<\/p>\n Our new research<\/a> shows when people\u2019s broader wellbeing improves \u2013 such as developing a sense of self-acceptance or hope \u2013 they are more likely to report a \u201cpersonal\u201d recovery from an eating disorder, even if they still have some clinical symptoms.<\/p>\n How is recovery measured?<\/p>\n There is no one definition<\/a> of eating disorder recovery.<\/p>\n But most research<\/a> has focused on clinical symptoms. This means an absence of diagnostic criteria (for example, no binge eating or purging) over a specific timeframe, such as a 12-month period, to meet the definition of recovery<\/a>.<\/p>\n Emerging research points to the importance of \u201cpersonal recovery\u201d meaning that dimensions of psychological wellbeing are essential.<\/p>\n For example, a 2020 review<\/a> of studies focusing on perspectives of people with eating disorders showed supportive relationships, hope, identity, meaning and purpose, empowerment, and self-compassion were central to their recovery process. <\/p>\n People with eating disorders also report<\/a> that including these as goals (rather than just focusing on clinical symptoms) feels relevant and empowering, while emerging research<\/a> shows this can improve long-term outcomes and improve quality of life, meaning people may be less likely to relapse.<\/p>\n But there still<\/a> hasn\u2019t been much research on how both personal and clinical aspects can be incorporated into treatment and recovery.<\/p>\n Understanding how to include these aspects in treatment is urgent, given eating disorders are among the most life-threatening<\/a> psychiatric disorders, and recovery is often slow<\/a>.<\/p>\n What we did and what we found<\/p>\n Our new study<\/a> surveyed 234 adults who have lived through or are currently experiencing an eating disorder. Most identified as female (89%), and the average age was 28.<\/p>\n Overall, we found less than a quarter of participants (22.6%) met the criteria for clinical improvement, meaning many were still dieting or preoccupied with food and body image. <\/p>\n But more than half (52.1%) felt they had achieved personal recovery. This included experiencing self-acceptance, positive relationships, personal growth, reduced eating disorder behaviours, resilience and greater autonomy.<\/p>\n Clinical improvement in symptoms did make personal recovery more likely. But nearly two-thirds (63.9%) of those who self-identified as personally recovered did not meet the clinical definition, meaning they still experienced some eating disorder symptoms. <\/p>\n This points to a possible disconnect between definitions of recovery that focus on symptoms and what recovery actually means to the people living it.<\/p>\n We also explored whether personal recovery looked different depending on someone\u2019s eating disorder diagnosis.<\/p>\n All participants had a past or current diagnosis of anorexia nervosa (68.4%), bulimia nervosa (8.5%) or binge eating disorder (8.1%). <\/p>\n But, we found no meaningful differences in personal recovery rates across these diagnoses. This suggests the experience of personal recovery may be broadly similar regardless of the specific eating disorder a person has faced.<\/p>\n Why does this matter?<\/p>\n When treatment success is measured almost entirely through symptom checklists and clinical criteria, we risk missing \u2013 and failing to celebrate \u2013 the progress that may matter the most to the person in front of us.<\/p>\n We suggest people seeking recovery from an eating disorder should be asked early on about what recovery looks like to them, not just what the clinical guidelines<\/a> say it should look like. This might also improve the currently low rates<\/a> of people seeking help for eating disorders. It may help clinicians set goals that are meaningful and better reflect the psychological nature of eating disorders, not just the physical aspects.<\/p>\n If there\u2019s something that feels important to your recovery, it\u2019s worth raising with your treatment team. Recovery can look different for everyone, and your personal goals matter.<\/p>\n