Helping Your Roommate Understand Eating Disorder Recovery

College is a time of meeting new friends, building different social circles, and going beyond your comfort zone to establish relationships.  Many individuals find that the friends they meet and build relationships while in college are the friendships that last a lifetime.  It may be because of the length of time spent together with friends, the different experiences that bring friends closer, or even just living in close proximity with other individuals.

The transition to college can also bring with it an unspoken but apparent desire to fit in with others and find a niche of friends in which one feels comfortable being with. Everyone wants to feel loved, accepted, and desired, and initially finding a group of friends or people with whom this bond is shared can be difficult.

For the college student who may be in recovery from an eating disorder, the process of meeting and making new friends can feel intimidating at times. Many individuals in recovery may worry that others might not understand their commitment to recovery. Others may not want to speak openly about their eating disorder or know how to reconcile their history of the disease with the future of new friends.

Navigating the College Experience While in Recovery

The transition to college always comes with many unknowns and uncertainties, as this is a new chapter in life. The added element of maintaining recovery efforts from an eating disorder while in college can be overwhelming, but this piece is fundamental for staying well and healthy to thrive in college.

An important aspect of sustaining recovery is to be open about thoughts and feelings and to have an appropriate coping mechanism for dealing with the many different emotions that might be experienced.

While it can be difficult to explain to others what you might be going through, being able to live honestly in and with your recovery journey can fortify your efforts, create a sense of support, and help you with much needed accountability.

It is not expected that everyone will understand what you are going through, nor is it realistic to think that it is necessary to share your journey with everyone you encounter. However, using discretion and sharing your experiences with those closest to you, and with whom you share the most time with, can be a valuable aspect of your eating disorder journey.

Sharing Your Recovery With a College Roommate

College roommates often get to know the best and worst sides of each other. This might be expected when living in such close proximities of one another and having to share such close living spaces.

Many college students find that they naturally form friendships with their roommates; whether living together in a dorm room on campus or sharing an apartment off campus, roommates can become close and dear friends.

You may be unsure about how to best share your eating disorder journey with your roommates or feel especially self-conscious about certain things you do to help yourself maintain your recovery. If appropriate, it may be helpful to have an open and honest conversation with your roommates about your history of struggling with an eating disorder as well as things you are doing to help maintain remission from eating disorder behaviors.

Use your discretion to share as much or little details as you feel is appropriate. You can always share educational resources with your roommates that may help them better understand what you might be dealing with.

Because of the stigmas that are often associated with eating disorders, there may be shame in openly talking about your struggle. However, there is also freedom in being able to openly express who you are and discuss your journey in recovery freely.

It may also be helpful to understand your expectations before having a discussion with your roommates. Are you hoping to ask for support and accountability? Are you attempting to keep things open and share out of mutual respect for each other?

If you find yourself unsure how to share about your recovery with your roommates or are finding it difficult to sustain your recovery efforts while in college, be sure to speak with someone you trust or your eating disorder treatment specialist.

About the Author: Crystal is a Masters-level Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) with a specialty focus in eating disorders, maternal/child health and wellness, and intuitive eating. Combining clinical experience with a love of social media and writing, Crystal serves where her passion to help others find recovery and healing is integrated into each part of her work.

As a Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor, Crystal has dedicated her career to helping others establish a healthy relationship with food and body through her work and nutrition private practice.

The opinions and views of our guest contributors are shared to provide a broad perspective of eating disorders. These are not necessarily the views of Eating Disorder Hope, but an effort to offer discussion of various issues by different concerned individuals.

We at Eating Disorder Hope understand that eating disorders result from a combination of environmental and genetic factors. If you or a loved one are suffering from an eating disorder, please know that there is hope for you, and seek immediate professional help.

Last Updated & Reviewed By: Jacquelyn Ekern, MS, LPC on August 22, 2016
Published on EatingDisorderHope.com