What I learned in 8 months of ED Recovery | This would have helped me...

Hi Guys!
This is the video I would have wanted to have watched when I had just started out in my recovery from anorexia. Now, 8 months on, let me show you what I have learned. Let me take you through the ups and the downs - to show you all of the successes but the things I still struggle with too. Eating disorder recovery is tough, and it is a rollercoaster, but I hope this video shows you that things CAN and WILL get better (so long as you dedicate yourself to the process).
All my love,
Milly xxx
Insta - @MillyRecovers
TikTok WIEIADs - @MillyRecovers
TikTok Recovery Advice - @MillyRecovers2
0:00 Intro
1:04 Food, fear foods, & calorie counting
3:19 Extreme & mental hunger
4:15 Choice paralysis
5:47 Weight Gain & body image
7:36 Exercise
8:34 OCD & making food "perfect"
10:30 Energy
11:09 IBS & bloating
11:58 Night sweats
12:35 Other physical symptoms
13:36 Emotions & mental health
14:53 The impact recovery has made
-------------- ED RECOVERY RESOURCES --------------
- BEAT National Eating Disorder charity - www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/
- NHS self-help guides - web.ntw.nhs.uk/selfhelp/
- Disordered eating self-help worksheets - www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/Reso...
KZbinRS:
Tabitha Farrar: / tabithafarrar
Hat DID Beat this: / @hatdidbeatthis7379
Abbey Sharp: / abbeysharpabbeyskitchen
Linda Sun: / @lindasunyt
Ro Recovery: / romitchell
INSTAGRAMMERS:
Surina: @gainswithsurina3768
Millie: @MillieisRecovering
Healing Ki: @healing.ki
Elena: @elena.recovering
Han: @hannahfightsthis
Imee: @im_powering
TIKTOKERS:
Lila: @fullyrecovering
Sena: @senarecovering7
Cressie: @recoverwithcressie
Bobby: @bobbykazz
@_youve_got_this_
GUIDES/SELF-HELP RESOURCES:
Tabitha Farrar's book - Rehabilitate, Rewire, Recover!
CCI Self-Help Guides - www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/Reso...

[@DanielaGonzalez-qd5kc]

Oh my god Milly, loved this video sooo much! I think these type of chatty videos are the ones that help us the most while in recovery. Thank you thank you. Much love 🧡🧡🧡

[@millyisliving]

thank you so much!! i’m so pleased you found it helpful!! maybe i will do more chatty vids in the future ♥️ i have some easter ones coming out the next few weeks xx

[@paulawhittaker3538]

Find this type of video so helpful. Its good to see different people's journey through recovery. I'm now 6 weeks in recovery, having to do it completely on my own. I know this channel isnt about medical advice but out of curiosity has anyone found they're got no energy now your eating? I had more energy and more active while being restrictive. It's very confusing as to why. Thank you Millie for sharing your experience/thoughts and support x

[@becibabe7364]

Everything you said really resonated with me You really hit the nail on the head when you mentioned “choice paralysis”… I’ve hadn’t heard of this expression until now…but the mindfuck that goes on is truly horrendous OCD is prevalent in Anorexia..l once went into an ED clinic and they handed me a list of behaviours..which totally gobsmacking to me as l thought l was the one that had invented those behaviours…l truly wish you well…I’ve been fighting this insidious disease for 35 disease and I’m exhausted

[@millyisliving]

yeah choice paralysis is honestly the worst!! and our brains can be so so clever and sneaky when we have an ed 🥲 wishing you all the best, honestly! i believe everyone can reach full recovery ♥️

[@katie9005]

Hey, I'm new here and really enjoying your videos. I physically recovered from an ED a few years ago but I still struggle with calorie counting because I know the numbers off by heart so watching your journey is really helpful for me. I watched another creator do a video called 'eating my subscribers fear foods'- I think this would be a fun video!

[@millyisliving]

hi katie! welcome to our little safe community 🥰♥️ i’m so proud of you for reaching that physical recovery! calorie counting is so hard to let go of, i found it easier to go cold turkey in the end! i’d be interested in doing a vid like you suggested in the future!! i shall make a note

[@jmsl_910]

i've been at my recovery weight for four weeks. i'm def still experiencing extreme hunger, which isn't fun. but my body feels strong.

[@safiya2335]

Hi, I just discovered your channel but I wanted to just say how inspiring you are. I really loved your video on EDs at uni, as I have found that sometimes the mental health support at UK unis isn't great, so I really appreciated your tips. But in general, I just wanted to say how brave you are to be sharing your journey, and this video literally feels like a chat with an old friend. I can't wait to see what other content you will add, because I know I have so much to learn from you! ❤

[@millyisliving]

oh definitely doesn’t it vary across the country with the support that’s available? very frustrating! i’m glad you found my tips helpful 🥰♥️ and thank you so so much for your kind words!! that’s honestly such a huge compliment and i’m so so so glad you have enjoyed what i’ve made 🥰 i’m working on some easter themed bits at the mo 🤫

[@larissa5968]

i love your honesty and openness so much Milly, this is one of my fave videos of yours, such serious topics but you handled them beautifully🥰 love love love this and you ❤❤❤

[@millyisliving]

thank you so so so much 🥰 i adooore you and your videos 🤩 always here my lovely

[@gingergamer3270]

Someone I worked with had a lot of disordered eating behaviours and one day I heard her say she wanted to go to the loo before lunch or she wouldn't enjoy her food as much, this was more of a red flag for me than all of her other behaviours. I hope she seeks out recovery

[@millyisliving]

i hope so! ♥️

[@helena003]

SUPER proud of you!!!

[@millyisliving]

thank you so so much 🥰♥️

[@Ellalamai]

You’re so strong Milly I’m in recovery too I was a runner and was forced to stop in hospital just started again and omg i have so much more energy now I’m sure you’ll be able to get back to it in a healthy way keep going ! 💕

[@millyisliving]

thank you Ella and that’s amazing! i’m so happy for you, you’ll definitely be a better runner with the energy and fuel for it now 🤍

[@Reree-gz5bg]

second video

[@millyisliving]

yay thank you!!

[@heatherphillips9753]

The night sweats, I had no idea what was going on with me, I would have to shower every morning. Thank you for sharing the things people are embarrassed to talk about, good luck with your recovery! ♥️

[@millyisliving]

gosh right!! i’d wake up literally as if i’d been in a shower 😭 thank you so much 🤍

[@slimeqwebs7250]

this popped up on my home page at the perfect time ty!!

[@millyisliving]

i’m so glad 🥰♥️ allllllll my love

[@ohknovc]

omg, i found one of your posts on instagram today and so i decided to watch one of your youtube videos. my mind just wouldn’t stop racing, yk today was one of those more challenging days in recovery, so i thought watching this would help. and it did! at 9:16 when you mentioned the rituals and ocd tendencies, it hit close. BUT THEN you mentioned the PEEING THING AND I HAD NO IDEA THAT TIED INTO MY ED. i never used to pee before eating before my ed, but now in recovery… i feel the NEED to pee before i eat. it’s like i just have to. but i had no idea that it was bc i felt like it ‘needed’ to be perfect. which, reflecting on it now. it IS bc i want it to be perfect. i always have to plate my food nice, i have to do this and that, it just needs to be perfect. which is something i obviously need to work on. but i have came a long way. and you have too! anyways, this video really helped me understand more abt recovery. thank you so much. so proud of you. we will keep making progress in recovery!

[@millyisliving]

gosh recovery is so up and down, but i’m glad life brought you to our little community here! i don’t think you’re the only person relating to the pee comment, but i think we might have all been a bit too shy to mention it or even link it to the ED before! now i purposefully want to eat in a non-perfect way, eat non-aesthetic food, eat while walking, eat while i DO need to pee etc! just some more things to challenge in order to achieve a full recovery - which is absolutely possible, and we will do it together 🥰♥️ you have alllllll of my support, i know how difficult it is, but keep going, it’ll be worth it!

[@sofialatte2501]

Loved the video 🥰

[@millyisliving]

so pleased to hear!!!

[@georgiawillats]

Thank you so much for this video, it came up at the perfect time. I never fully got to be clinically 'underweight' but I still need to gain weight because my body is clearly not meant to be as low of a healthy BMI and ive really struggled with weight gain despite being already at a 'healthy' weight and this made me feel better xxxx

[@millyisliving]

so so glad you saw this vid! and you absolutely don’t need to have reached UW in order to recover - i want to make that so so clear ♥️ you absolutely deserve to nourish and flourish! 🥰

[@actgirl1234567]

Ibs can be so debilitating and mine was w me (along w anxiety, linked I know) before my ed yet my behaviours and physical state over the last long while has made it worse snd possibly irreversible but I appreciate this video and your tips. I find the choice paralysis thing too but it might be linked w ocd yet mine is also regarding my gi issues, like what will digest the best (or cause the least distress lol) ❤

[@millyisliving]

ibs is honestly such a demon, im so sorry to hear you have it too ♥️ i don’t think it can ever go away (it’s a long term condition) but hopefully we can learn to manage our symptoms in time 🥰

[@Reree-gz5bg]

exactly Milly, the black coffee same!!!! :3 one thing in my recovery journey is when others wanna interrogate my food preferences. like bro shoo! no one asked

[@millyisliving]

i relate to this! i always feel guilty when i have salads, because people always comment and say “aren’t you supposed to be gaining weight?” and yes, i am, and sometimes i just crave a salad 😂 but when i do, i make sure it is still balanced with carbs and protein ♥️

[@Reree-gz5bg]

@@millyisliving yeah ;/ Those comments are harmful asf. Just don’t comment on peoples food choices periodttt 🙄

[@Nicole-jc6nw]

What is re feeding?

[@emmamenzies3904]

I know it's a long time since you posted this but how do you go in recovery if you have dietary restrictions like coeliac or a diet choice, like veganism. How would this affect your ED?

[@millyisliving]

diet restrictions can be really hard to manage in ed recovery! when I started, I had become lactose intolerant but I slowly incorporated dairy into my diet and it went away! (my body likely started to produce the correct enzymes again). With coeliac or other similar restrictions, I think working with a dietician might be a good idea, as it can be triggering whilst working through recovery to also have to limit your diet. As for veganism - that's a whole topic on its own and people have very different opinions on being vegan in recovery. I think that's an individual choice, but for me I had to stop being vegan as it was limiting my recovery so now I am veggie x sorry I didn't really answer the question!!

[@ACKRYL]

Eating Disorders can cause OCD, but did you know Eating Disorders (especially targeted torwards bulimia) can cause ADHD?

[@millyisliving]

i didn’t know this! i wasn’t aware of too much research into that as a comorbidity but i will look into it 🥰 thanks for sharing !