Managing uncomfortable, distressing and intrusive thoughts around food, body, eating, weight etc.

Eating disorder thoughts are often characterised by frequent and invasive distorted thought patterns. These will contribute to the development and maintenance of an eating disorder.

It’s hopefully helpful to know that these thoughts are common and very much part of the ED – but with the right help and support, and with patience and time, they can be reduced and resolved.  It is a very important part of the recovery process.

(If you are interested and want to work with a binge eating and Bulimia recovery specialist such as myself, click here and I’ll get in touch with you.)

Here are a few of the more common thought patterns that are seen in people who have an ED. These negative thoughts are inaccurate and emotional/irrational ways of thinking, which impact a person’s emotions and behaviours.  They can be found in many forms, some more “obvious” than others.

1. Extreme pessimism / Catastrophising. This involves anticipating the worst possible outcome regardless of the possibility or reality of the likelihood of occurrence. This thinking pattern leads to high levels of anxiety and the development of controlling behaviours to attempt to minimise the perceived risk. This is seen in disordered eating via the control of food intake, place of eating, calorie counting obsession, or beliefs around food e.g. that eating certain foods will lead to weight gain or binge eating. This type of thinking can contribute to anxiety and fear around food and weight.

2. Taking things very personally – at an extreme level. This involves taking responsibility for events or situations that are beyond a person’s control. This type of thinking can lead to feelings of guilt and shame around food and weight. For example, a person with an eating disorder may believe that they are responsible for the negative reactions of others to their eating habits or body size.

3. Black- and White/ All- Or- Nothing/ Good and bad etc. – thinking patterns. This is about seeing everything in absolutes, in extreme terms, with no space for any “grey” areas, compromise or middle ground.  Thoughts of this kind can develop rigid and inflexible behaviour around food and weight. There is no balance. This might be seen in binge/ purge or binge/ restrict cyclical behaviours or being on or off a strict diet, so when one is “on” the diet, it is very low in calories/ carbs for example, or eating everything in sight in large quantities. 

4. Finding “evidence” to support an untrue belief that is actually based on feelings, not facts. This involves using emotions as evidence for behaviours or beliefs, even if there is no factual basis for those beliefs. For example, a person may believe that they are worthless and unlovable because of their weight, even if there is no evidence to support this belief. 

5. Sweeping generalisations. This involves making general conclusions based on a single event or experience. For example, a person with disordered eating or poor body image may decide that they have no willpower, that they are a failure because they ate a single “BAD” food item, rather than acknowledging that everyone makes mistakes and experiences setbacks or even thinking that having a “bit of what you fancy” is in fact a normal part of life when we don’t have an ED.

6. Filtering. Selecting only specific pieces of information in relation to something that confirms your thinking while ignoring others. This type of thinking can contribute to distorted perceptions of body image and self-worth. For example, a person with an eating disorder may only keep images that confirm (in their view) that they are “fat” or “ugly” and ignore any positive images or feedback from others that would challenge this belief.