lies like
"Self-restraint is a virtue/ indulgence is bad"
"less is more"
"if it doesn't hurt, it can't be effective"
"it is virtuous and morally good and important and effective to make personal sacrifices"
"this isn't a sacrifice, you LIKE it!" (when I don't allow myself to consider the alternative)
"this is extreme, but extreme is good because it is radical, it goes to the roots of the problem!" (ok, sometimes true, but not everything that's extreme is automatically effective or even radical!)
"this flies in the face of conventional wisdom because I am actually more informed than most people" (again, sometimes true but not automatically true)
"the problem isn't that this is too hard, it's that I'm stupid/not trying enough/ etc"
"you always have to try harder. just like. in general."
"pushing yourself is morally good and leads to growth rather than burnout"
"you don't deserve to have your needs and desires met"
"this isn't a need, it's a want, it's selfish"
"others have it worse so quit complaining"
"resting is wasting time"
"having fun is selfish when others are suffering"
"there is so much to do, no time for rest/fun!"
...and so on. Until you genuinely can't tell what you want and need. Because society and especially abusers (insofar as there's a difference) beat that ability out of us starting in infancy.
And these beliefs are so common in activist scenes and spaces and are what motivates many people to do activism. It's not "just" the stuff eating disorders are made out of, it's also the water most people swim in in general. Obviously you get versions of these beliefs in religions and conservative circles too....
There's nothing more radical than listening to your body's needs and allowing them unconditionally. Fuck the concepts of laziness, greed and undeservedness!
#EDRecovery #EatingDisorder #recovery #mh #DietCulture #AbuseCulture #MentalHealth #MentalIllness