Imperfectly Perfect

If you ask the question: "Can someone completely & fully recover from an eating disorder?" You would get a million and one responses. There are many many books out there claiming to answer that very question.
There are Psychologists, PhDs. MDs. and Therapists that have different theories. Well, today I publicly share my own theory - without any degree or book to my name.

Take or leave it 

(there's a million to choose from)

Disability: "A disability is a condition or function judged to be significantly impaired relative to the usual standard of an individual or group."

Mental illnesses (of all types) can "significantly impair" one's life.

Eating Disorders for example - consume more time and more energy than people would believe. They physically make you unable to function at your best. The intrusive thoughts take over.... impaired seems like an understatement at times.

So - in accepting my eating disorder as one of my biggest disabilities - one of my biggest challenges. I (like so many other people with disabilities) had to re-learn how to live.

*If a person becomes blind - they learn to use their other senses, they may get a service dog, they can learn to read by touch.
*If a person becomes deaf - they learn sign language, they get a hearing aid, use lighting & other signals.
* If a person loses the ability to walk, they get a wheel chair, they ask for support, they use ramps vs. stairs.

With an Eating Disorder it's no different.

* I have learned to use a meal plan & skills to relieve anxiety. I have treatment professionals to discuss stressors with. I take it easy when my emotions are high.

At the end of the day - it's about adaptation. We're all different. We all have different challenges, trials, disabilities, strengths, passions, and genetic make up. Life isn't necessarily about becoming "fixed" "recovered" or what that translated to in my eyes "perfect", it's about learning how to live your life the best way you can - the way that you are.

Will there ever be a point where I say: "I'm 100% recovered all-the-way"? Who knows - but what I can tell you that every day I practice more and learn more about how I personally best live my life - with the disabilities I have such as my eating disorder and bipolar disorder, and each day am astounded at just how beautiful the imperfections, the challenges we must over come, and the differences between us really are.

We're all imperfect, set out to learn and adapt to our challenges and disabilities.Is there ever an end to that process?

"Perfect" never comes. That much I know.

Citation: Disabled World News - Definition of disability including types of disabilities and the social model of disabilities: http://www.disabled-world.com/disability/types/#ixzz24ycKDOzK