Music was an instrumental part of my growth. I had some of my biggest epiphanies through listening music and found solace in it as it named my feelings before I could do that myself. When I was deeply struggling with my Eating Disorder, my ears were in sync with my Eating Disorder self. A therapist pointed out how harmful it was to my treatment. She asked me to make a playlist of the most empowering songs I could think of. It definitely took some motivation to listen to it as a playlist cannot recover for you. It is a tool to help you recover.
I realized one obstacle was I filled it with songs that were empowering, but I did not enjoy listening to and songs I did not resonate with. A year later, I edited the playlist and filled it with hype-up music you could dance to and sing in the car that were all about empowerment. I realized what a difference this makes and I listen to it every morning before I go down to breakfast and it sets the tone for the day or in the car on the way to taking myself out to eat.
I created the other one more recently after realizing that the reason I felt so connected to Taylor Swift even though I had never been in a "real" relationship was because the Eating Disorder felt like a toxic relationship. The process of recovering felt similar to the breakups she was describing as they were a mix of hurt, relief, fear, and anger. Recovering from an Eating Disorder is hard because at one point it served a purpose, similar to a relationship. At some point, its harmful nature showed itself more and it feels painful to realize the thing one thinks is helping you is actually harming you. Recovering feels hard and scary, and it is the most rewarding thing I ever did.
I encourage my clients to create their own recovery playlist as an assignment so it resonates with them and they feel a special connection to those songs. I attached the two playlists I provide for clients and as a free resource. "Recovery is cool as frick" is the one I listened to to help my own recovery and a playlist with just Taylor Swift songs (TV of course) to help get them started.
Happy listening and I hope you find these useful for your own recovery.
Taylor Swift Playlist:
My Recovery Playlist:
Interested in working with me for Eating Disorder Recovery Coaching? Set up a free 20 minute consultation call under "Work with Me" to become my client!
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