How do I know when I am ready to return to work after bulimia treatment?

Contributor: Crystal Karges, MS, RDN, IBCLC, Special Projects Coordinator at Eating Disorder Hope/Addiction Hope

The process of recovering from bulimia is a journey that progresses over time. Because of the complexity of eating disorders, including bulimia, it is difficult to pinpoint a specific time in which an individual has “recovered” or is ready to make transitions back to normal schedules and routines in life.

Many people who struggle with bulimia may have found it necessary to temporary leave their job and career in order to seek out the appropriate treatment for recovery. If this is the case, how does a person know once they are able to come back to work after receiving treatment for bulimia?

Are You Ready?

While recovery in bulimia is difficult to define with specific criteria, there are some aspects of recovery that should be in existence before making the transition back to work. One aspect of recovery that is important includes symptom management, medical/emotional/psychological stabilization, and the practice of effective and positive coping mechanisms.

startup-849794_640For example, an individual who is preparing to return to work should ideally not have eating disorder behaviors and symptoms that are active and present. For someone recovering from bulimia, this may mean that the cycle of binging and purging has significantly declined or stopped altogether.

Finding stabilization physically, emotionally, and mentally are also important aspects of recovery. A person may be ready to make the transition back to work when they have physically recovered from any medical complications or physical symptoms experienced and are mentally and emotionally able to process different emotions and effectively cope with different the different circumstances that may be encountered.

Making a transition back to work following treatment for bulimia is not an easy task, and for these reasons, it is essential to analyze your readiness for the transition and your current point in recovery to ensure your success in the process. Be sure to work with your treatment team, particularly when making these types of transition, and stay connected to support throughout your journey.

Community Discussion – Share your thoughts here!

If you have been in recovery for bulimia and have been through treatment, what helped you understand if you were ready to make the transition back to the routines in your life? If you returned back to work after treatment, what helped you make this step?


Crystal Headshot 2Crystal 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 as the Special Projects Coordinator for Eating Disorder Hope/Addiction Hope, 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 with EDH/AH 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 November 18, 2015
Published on EatingDisorderHope.com