Recovery Paths Comparison

I was recently interviewed on a podcast, and shared about my eating disorder recovery path. In doing so, I highlighted some of the key differences between fear-based recovery and authentic healing recovery. What I mean by this, is that some recovery programs are based on a set of pre-determined beliefs and standards. Recovery is generally viewed as black and white. In other words, you are either in recovery or you are in relapse. There is no in between. Authentic healing recovery has no pre-determined beliefs or standards and is unique to the individual.

I have personally and professionally experienced both recovery paths. I used to believe only one way was the right way. I had no prior success with the other and was biased. Now I can say that I have experienced some level of success with each. I do not view one as right or wrong. What I do believe is that some people crave a certain level of rigidity and structure to gain control over certain behaviors or patterns. They are unable to stop without someone else stepping in and giving a clear framework for their recovery process to begin.

I needed that at one time. However, I was not given an option of authentic healing then. If I had been, perhaps my recovery process would have looked different. Or maybe it wouldn't have. I will never truly know. What I do know today, is that fear-based recovery no longer works for me. I have come to a place in my journey, where I have learned to trust myself and have healed many of the wounds that kept me from accessing my intuition. We are born into this world purely instinctual and intuitive. But as we grow, wounds occur and we stop trusting ourselves. This is something that we can heal over time if we choose to do the work. The only one that can answer what your recovery path should look like, is you.

Below is something I created, as a tool to highlight some differences between the two recovery paths.