The Healing Power Of Community – Escaping From The Prison Of Self

Are you on the path of recovery from illnesses including anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder or other specified feeding or eating disorders (OSFED)? If so, you have accepted your condition, sought expert help to start overcoming your condition, and are now exploring how to transition to independent living. 

For many, the journey to wellness isn’t a linear route; recovery from anorexia, for example, takes an average of seven years – but it’s not unusual for patients to struggle for a decade or longer. We want you to feel hopeful about your future and experience a prosperous life, which is why we offer supported housing for those in recovery from eating disorders in Birmingham UK.

WE CAN’T EXIST ALONE

Part of recovery involves realising we can’t exist on our own; John Donne says no man is an island, and it is a joy to realise that. We can, to some extent, action this with self-motivation – discovering a supportive yoga class, for example, which focuses as much on the mind as the body – can be helpful towards recovery. But further strength comes from living in a community 

“I am not aware of any other factor in medicine — not diet, not smoking, not exercise, not stress, not genetics, not drugs, not surgery — that has a greater impact on our quality of life or incidence of illness,” says cardiologist Dean Ornish on the healing power of love and connection. His comments were originally based on studying people with heart disease, but he soon modified his findings when his research showed that human connection improved health in all situations. 

MEMBERS OF A GROUP ARE LIKE CELLS IN AN ORGANISM

Research shows that participating in a group can be comparable to a living entity in itself, with members of the group like cells in an organism, influencing one another’s actions and experiences. As such, once a person joins a social network the core principles of that group will naturally start to dominate group members’ own thinking via something called entrainment. According to this research, group members can then attract or repel other energies, as if magnetised. With this in mind, it becomes vital to be mindful of the type of group we join and subject ourselves to – in all walks of life, but particularly at sensitive times such as during recovery.

LIVING IN A COMMUNITY HELPS TO REBUILD RELATIONSHIPS

Many people suffering from eating disorders have become accustomed to stress, fear, living in isolation or in a fragmented fashion with no GP, no family nearby, or with layers of subterfuge around those relationships in order to control their relationship with eating. Living in a community, particularly one which understands your specific needs, not only reduces isolation but can help rebuild your relationships with family and friends. All of this helps you work towards your goals and become an active member of a community.

So, what’s next? 

If you or someone you know is ready to recover from an eating disorder, call Prosper House  at 03337729464 We would be happy to get the whole family started on the road to recovery and healing.

If you or someone you know needs support in their eating disorder recover, click this link to make a referral