How long does it take to recover from an eating disorder? Exploring the factors that shape each person’s recovery journey
If you have an eating disorder and are contemplating beginning treatment, you may have wondered about the recovery rate and how long it takes to recover from an eating disorder. This is both a common and valid question; the decision to enter treatment is both courageous and daunting, so it is normal to want to know what’s ahead of you once you begin. I am one of the people who had this question before beginning recovery – I wanted some sort of “timeline” to wrap my head around to help the recovery process feel a bit more predictable and tangible. And while there are certainly some predictable elements and stages of recovery, I quickly learned what I now know to be true about the recovery process: there isn’t a set timeline for each recovery journey to follow. I know that this information may elicit a deep sigh as it does not feed the desire to have a concrete plan for what’s to come.
Recovery from an eating disorder varies greatly from person to person, depending on factors such as the type of eating disorder, its severity, the duration of the disorder, the person's support system, and their access to effective treatment.
There’s no one-size-fits-all timeline, but here are some key considerations:
1. Recovery Is a [Nonlinear] Process
Recovery from an eating disorder is rarely linear. There will be periods of progress, setbacks, and even stagnant periods. It can be helpful to view recovery as an ongoing journey toward physical, emotional, and mental well-being rather than viewing it as a road to a set destination.
2. The Numbers: Average Recovery Timelines
The timeline for recovery can vary dramatically:
Short-term recovery: In the first 6 months to 2 years of treatment, many experience significant improvements in physical health and stability in eating behaviors. This period often focuses on restoring weight (if needed), addressing medical concerns, and interrupting harmful patterns (National Library of Medicine).
Long-term recovery: What some consider as “full recovery” – which includes emotional healing and changing thought patterns – can sometimes take a couple to several years. Some studies suggest that meaningful recovery from eating disorders can continue even into the five-year mark and beyond. For individuals with long-standing or severe disorders, the process can sometimes be even longer. Because recovery involves so many independent and interdependent layers, the process of uncovering, undoing, and making meaningful and lasting changes can be incremental and lengthy. This does not mean that – as someone starting your recovery journey – that you will feel stuck for a handful of years or more. This is based on what studies have found to be true about achieving a “full” recovery, which may not even be the initial goal of some entering their recovery journey.
3. 5 Factors That Impact Recovery Time
There are several factors that influence the timeline for an individual recovery journey:
Severity and Duration
The longer an eating disorder has been present, the more time it may take to address its effects. Severe medical complications or co-occurring mental health conditions can also extend the recovery process.
Type of Eating Disorder
Studies suggest that Anorexia may take longer to heal from than some other eating disorders due to multiple factors: physical damage that is often present, rigid, perfectionistic thinking that can take extensive treatment to address and unravel, and resistance to treatment. Even still, other eating disorders like Bulimia, ARFID, binge eating disorder, and OSFED can all take varying lengths of recovery times.
Early Intervention (if possible!)
The sooner an eating disorder is identified and treated, the better the chances of a quicker recovery. Early intervention can prevent behaviors from becoming deeply ingrained and reduce medical complications.
Support Systems:
A strong support system of family, friends, and professionals plays a critical role in recovery. While this is not possible for everyone, having a strong support system is shown to be instrumental in the eating disorder healing process. Eating disorders are, in general, very isolating illnesses, so the more you can lean into a (healthy) community of people to help you heal, the more successful and faster the healing process tends to be.
Professional Support
Active participation in treatment, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), family-based therapy (FBT), medical care when and where necessary, residential treatment in some cases, nutrition counseling, and sometimes medications can all play a role in the healing process. The therapeutic interventions you need will depend on many of the factors we have outlined already, such as the type, duration, and severity of your eating disorder. Addressing any underlying issues like anxiety, trauma, or perfectionism can also accelerate healing.
4. Recovery is Multifaceted
Recovery often involves multiple dimensions. This is part of why the recovery process length can be hard to pinpoint and predict.
The different layers of recovery and a brief outline for the focus when healing each layer:
Physical recovery: Restoring weight when needed, addressing malnutrition and its impacts, and healing any other medical complications.
Emotional recovery: Addressing body image issues, building self-esteem, promoting body neutrality, and building and fostering resilience.
Mental recovery: Shifting thought patterns and reducing the influence of eating disorder-related thoughts as they occur.
Behavioral recovery: Developing healthy eating and maybe exercise habits and challenging disordered behaviors.
5. Full Recovery Is Possible
While the recovery process can feel daunting and complicated, many people achieve a full recovery and lead fulfilling, healthy lives that make the recovery journey so worth it. Even if a full recovery feels out of reach or if it isn’t a current personal goal for you, even a partial recovery may mean reaching a place where the eating disorder no longer dominates your thoughts or behaviors, even if you do still struggle with food, exercise, and/or body image on some level. It’s important to remember, too, that even people who do not have an eating disorder will struggle with body image at times, so having a bad body image day does not mean that you aren’t recovering or that you have “lost” your progress.
Your Journey to Healing
If you or someone you love is on the recovery journey, remember: healing takes time, patience, and sometimes many bouts of progress followed by some setbacks. Progress, no matter how small and no matter how long it takes, is meaningful. If you have not already and can, seeking professional help to help you create a treatment plan can be a crucial step toward recovery. If you are in the area or in one of the areas where we offer virtual treatment, Eating Disorder Therapy in Philadelphia, PA is here and eager to help you heal.
Recovery may feel daunting, and you may question if you can even do it at times, and you may wonder if it’s worth even trying when you can’t see a clear end in sight. I can promise you that you are worth the journey, recovery is for you, too (not just others around you), and that your life and its quality are worth fighting for. We are proud of you for even considering this critical step in your recovery journey; you can do this, and you don’t have to do it alone.
By: Erika Muller, Assistant for Wildflower Therapy LLC
All images via Unsplash
How Can Eating Disorder Therapy in Philadelphia, PA Help You?
If you’re looking for someone to come alongside you to help you start or come alongside you during your eating disorder journey, our therapists in Pennsylvania are honored to help! In fact, you can get to know a little bit more about them here and book a free consultation here.
Other Mental Health Services Provided by Wildflower Therapy, Philadelphia, PA
Life is a unique and sometimes messy journey for each of us; we all have our own individual battles to fight. Our therapists know there is no one-size-fits-all approach to any of life’s challenges and because of that, we offer many unique perspectives and approaches to help meet you where you are with our Philadelphia, PA Therapy services.
We offer services for eating disorder therapy, services for anxiety, and depression, and have practitioners who specialize in perinatal mental health , maternal mental health, therapy for college students and athletes. As well as LGBTQIA+ Affirming Therapy. As you can see, we have something to offer just about anyone in our Philadelphia, PA office. Reaching out is often the most difficult step you can take to improve your mental health. We look forward to partnering with you on this journey!
