RELAPSE

A relapse is a reoccurring event to a binge or purge. It’s reverting into your old habits and patterns, obsessing about your weight, listening to that devious leprechaun’s nonsense chatter about your weight, self-image, and food.

RELAPSE OR SLIP UP?

The word “relapse” is implying that this could happen again. It’s telling that unconscious part of your brain that you’ll do it again! Which is quite the opposite of where we’re going with your new positive focus of change.

First, I think you should change the word from relapse to “SLIP-UP,” as a “slip” means “to slide,” and it's okay to slide; it’s temporarily losing your hold or footing. “Up” implies that yes, you’ve slipped, but you’re already on the up, getting your focus back.

WHAT IF I SLIP UP?

So, you may have slip-ups when that urge or drive to binge is just too overwhelming, which can be discouraging. But then, you may not as you begin to change your patterns. But if you were to have a slip-up, which happens sometimes, it doesn't mean that you're failing because it’s a normal part of recovery.

The most exciting part is that you can learn from your slip-up. You become more understanding of yourself and so much more durable because you choose to keep focused on your end goal of breaking free from bulimia each time. You pick yourself up, brush yourself off, and begin again. Each time you do this, you're proving to your bulimia just how resilient you are and solidifying your foundation to make your recovery permanent.

Do your red flags blindly flap in the wind?

A hugely crucial and vital part of your recovery is to be aware of your specific potential red flags or your warning signs. These can vary greatly. So, it's imperative to tune in to your patterns of what you're thinking and feeling. Become aware of yourself starting to:

• Obsess about your weight
• Skip meals
• Maybe see your old negative beliefs slithering in, like not being good enough, worthlessness, helplessness

As you make all these positive changes in your life, you’ll start to feel all your emotions again, both pleasant and unpleasant. So, it's learning to identify the specifically difficult ones. Then use the tools you’ve learned in this book to understand from them and work through them.

But after following the program, you'll find it easier to identify accurately what your potential red flags could be if that were to happen.

It’s about being aware of these and then figuring out what you’re going to do differently.

What can I do differently if I do slip up?

There are many avenues to take if this were to happen, for example:

1.        Be kind to yourself; it’s not going to help if you beat yourself up over this.

2.        Being aware of your negative thoughts connected with your slip-up and practice your thought-stopping technique in Step 5, which you’ll have been using, to distance yourself from the devious leprechaun sitting on your shoulder.

3.        I want you to take out your notes and step into that “new you” technique from Step 1 and really feel what your future has to hold free from bulimia.

4.        Tap Tap Tap. Yes, it’s time to tap, tune in to the negative thoughts, the negative feelings, and start to tap on everything that comes up connected to your slip-up, working through and reducing them down to a 0.

For example:

o       “Even though I feel guilty or disappointed that I've had a slip-up, I deeply and completely accept myself.”

o       “Even though I'm ashamed and angry with myself, I deeply and completely accept myself.”

5.        Tuning in to what happened earlier rather than later when you know you’re headed down that dangerous road is crucial to your learning and recovery.

6. Grab your notebook and make a list of where you think you took that first step onto the slip. What were you thinking and feeling? Had something upsetting just happened? Make a list of what you could do differently if it were to happen again.