As a therapist I see many clients, all of which present with an array of different issues. One particular issue which continues to come up with a lot of clients, clients of all different ages, are struggles around their relationship with food and how they view their body image.
 
There are so many different layers to explore when looking at understanding eating behaviours, thoughts and patterns. You may be a yo yo dieter or a binge eater, or you may have been diagnosed with an Eating Disorder. Unfortunately we now live in a society whereby there are so many conflicting comparisons about promoting healthy/unhealthy relationships with food or our bodies. Social platforms are vast and there are so many different influences which makes us question “What is good, what is bad, What should we eat, not eat, what should we look like….”  It is hugely confusing to everyone about who or what we should look like. 
 
Distorted eating behaviours and diagnosed disorders are usually started from an array of different issues. For some, these feelings and behaviours have been a way of ‘managing’ or ‘coping’. This is usually connected with intense underline anxiety. This can be associated with a trauma or feeling like they don’t belong or fit in, they are looking for connection or a sense of security. ‘Controlling our eating’ is a way of numbing feelings and emotions, not being present in acknowledging what is going on around us, creating a different feeling state or getting out of some pain or discomfort.
 
Thoughts patterns and behaviours can vary depending on how long the behaviours or disorder has been present. You need to look at what your structures are, how it is carrying on and what is happening in your every day life. You need to start to work out who you are and what your identity is without your conflicting thoughts or disorder. 
 
As people start to recover and understand their own patterns of behaviours and thoughts, their attitude towards self starts to change. You get to know yourself and feel the feelings and that when you can start to acknowledge your real self and learn to look at you in a different light. It is about falling in like and love with self and then your thoughts around eating and  body image will start to change. 
 
This booklet will provide some insight into helping you to recognise your emotional thoughts and behaviours with food and body image, whatever your age, shape and size.