Understanding Recovery and What Makes It Possible
As a mental health professional specializing in eating disorders, I hear this question often:
"Can eating disorders really be cured?"
It's a vulnerable and hopeful question — and a complicated one.
The short answer is: Yes, full recovery is possible.
But recovery doesn’t always mean what people initially expect.
Healing from an eating disorder is not about becoming a "perfect eater" or reaching some ideal mental state where you never have a negative thought about food or your body again.
Instead, recovery means reclaiming your life, your freedom, and your sense of self beyond the eating disorder.
In this blog, we'll explore what it means to "fully recover," and the critical factors that make recovery truly possible.
What Does "Cure" Really Mean in the Context of Eating Disorders?
When people ask if eating disorders can be "cured," they often imagine a black-and-white outcome:
Either you have no lingering thoughts about food or your body (cured),
Or you continue to struggle forever (not cured).
But in reality, recovery usually looks more nuanced.
Full recovery means:
You no longer engage in disordered behaviors (restricting, purging, compulsive exercising, bingeing).
Food no longer dominates your thoughts, emotions, or daily life.
Body image distress is significantly reduced and no longer controls your choices.
You have the tools to manage life stress without turning back to the eating disorder.
You relate to yourself with much greater self-compassion and flexibility.
Full recovery is absolutely achievable.
However, for some people, vulnerable moments might arise — especially during times of stress or major life changes. The difference is that, in recovery, you are equipped to respond rather than relapse. You have coping strategies, support systems, and a deep inner resilience that wasn’t there before.
Recovery is not about perfection.
It’s about freedom.
Factors That Enable Full Recovery from an Eating Disorder
So what makes full recovery possible?
Here are the most critical ingredients:
1. Early Intervention
Research consistently shows that the sooner eating disorder treatment begins, the greater the chance of full recovery.
Eating disorders thrive in secrecy and become more entrenched the longer they go unaddressed. Early intervention interrupts the cycle before it becomes deeply woven into a person's identity and neurobiology.
However — and this is crucial — even people who have lived with an eating disorder for years or decades can still recover. It may take more time, patience, and layered healing, but it is never too late.
2. Comprehensive, Specialized Treatment
General mental health care is rarely enough.
Eating disorders are complex and require specialized treatment that addresses:
Medical stabilization (if necessary)
Nutritional rehabilitation
Cognitive and emotional healing
Underlying psychological issues (like trauma, perfectionism, anxiety, depression)
Effective eating disorder treatment often includes a multidisciplinary team: eating disorder therapist, dietitian, medical doctor, and sometimes a psychiatrist.
Each professional addresses different aspects of the recovery process, ensuring holistic healing.
3. Addressing Root Causes, Not Just Symptoms
Eating disorders aren't really about food.
Food and body behaviors are symptoms — coping mechanisms for deeper emotional pain, unmet needs, unrealistic self-expectations, anxiety, or unresolved trauma.
Full recovery happens when people are given tools and are better supported in exploring and healing these underlying layers.
Without this deep work, "behavioral recovery" can occur without true emotional freedom — leaving a person vulnerable to relapse.
4. Developing Emotional Regulation Skills
Many people use eating disorder behaviors to manage overwhelming emotions.
Recovery involves learning new emotional regulation skills, such as:
Identifying and naming feelings
Self-soothing & nervous system regulation
Building distress tolerance
Practicing healthy boundaries
Learning how to seek support
When emotions no longer feel like emergencies, the need for disordered coping strategies naturally diminishes.
5. Building a New Relationship with the Body
In full recovery, the body is no longer an object to be controlled or punished.
Instead, the body becomes:
A home
A partner
A source of wisdom
Healing body image is a gradual process that often involves:
Grieving societal ideals and expectations
Practicing body neutrality (not obsessing over "loving" your body, but respecting it)
Focusing on what your body can do rather than how it looks
Unlearning harmful cultural messages about worth and appearance
Body acceptance frees up enormous energy for living a fuller, richer life.
6. Cultivating a Supportive Environment
Recovery does not happen in a vacuum.
Community matters — deeply.
People in recovery thrive when they have:
Friends, family, or partners who support health at every size, body diversity, and emotional growth
Therapists and dietitians trained in eating disorder treatment
Peers or support groups who understand the recovery journey
Safe spaces free from diet culture pressures
If your environment is steeped in dieting, appearance obsession, or toxic messaging, recovery is not impossible — but it does require stronger boundaries and intentional counter-messaging.
7. Self-Compassion, Patience, and Perseverance
Perhaps the most essential ingredient for full recovery is self-compassion.
Recovery is not linear. There are often setbacks, plateaus, and difficult emotions along the way.
The critical difference between someone who ultimately recovers and someone who stays stuck is not "willpower" — it's the ability to meet themselves with kindness and curiosity when things get hard.
Healing requires patience.
Healing requires grace.
Healing requires a belief that you are worth the effort.
Final Thoughts: Yes, You Can Fully Recover
If you or someone you love is wondering if it's really possible to heal from an eating disorder, hear this clearly:
Yes. Full recovery is possible.
Not because you're "perfect" — but because you are resilient, worthy, and capable of change.
It takes time.
It takes support.
It takes courage to face the pain that fueled the disorder.
But recovery offers you something priceless:
The ability to eat freely.
The ability to live in your body without constant self-attack.
The ability to experience joy, spontaneity, and connection again.
If you're at the beginning of the journey, or feeling discouraged somewhere in the middle, hold on to this truth: There is life beyond the eating disorder. And you deserve to live it.
If you’re ready for support in your recovery journey, reaching out to a specialized eating disorder therapist can be a beautiful and powerful first step. You don’t have to walk this path alone. Give us a call, we are here to help 801-699-6161 or www.insidewellnes.com
Start Eating Disorder Treatment in Utah
If the thought of swimsuit season brings up anxiety, self-criticism, or shame, you’re not alone. Perfectionism and body image struggles can feel overwhelming—but you are not beyond help. And you are absolutely deserving of care through compassionate, comprehensive eating disorder treatment.
Whether you’ve been silently struggling or just beginning to recognize the signs, you don’t have to face this alone. There’s a team of eating disorder professionals—physicians, therapists, dietitians—ready to support you. Healing isn’t about achieving a “perfect” body. It’s about finding freedom. Here’s how you can get started:
Book a free consultation or contact us at 801-699-6161
Meet with a caring and experienced eating disorder therapist
Start supporting your mental and physical health with Inside Wellness!
Other Services Inside Wellness Offers in Provo and Salt Lake City, UT
Eating disorder treatment is not the only service offered by Inside Wellness. We are happy to provide a variety of other mental health services, including anxiety counseling, body image therapy, and online therapy in Utah. Discover the support and benefits that in-person or online therapy can offer by visiting our blog or FAQ today.