# Cbt is helping me untangle my eating disorder thoughts

**URL:** <https://forum.sharedquill.org/t/cbt-is-helping-me-untangle-my-eating-disorder-thoughts/55219>\
**Category:** Eating Disorder\
**Created:** [November 4, 2026, 11:30am UTC](https://forum.sharedquill.org/t/cbt-is-helping-me-untangle-my-eating-disorder-thoughts/55219 "2026-11-04T11:30:24Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Jessica\_Parker](https://forum.sharedquill.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/48db29/32.png) [@Jessica\_Parker](https://forum.sharedquill.org/u/Jessica_Parker)\
**Post date:** [November 4, 2026, 11:30am UTC](https://forum.sharedquill.org/t/cbt-is-helping-me-untangle-my-eating-disorder-thoughts/55219/1 "2026-11-04T11:30:24Z")

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CBT is helping me untangle the thoughts behind my eating disorder, which I honestly didn’t expect at first. I used to treat every anxious thought like it was a fact, especially the ones telling me I had eaten too much, needed to compensate, or had somehow ruined the whole day.

Now I’m trying to slow that process down and look at what actually happened versus what my brain is telling me happened. It doesn’t make the thoughts disappear, and I still have rough days, but there’s a little more space between the thought and what I do next.

The hardest part is challenging beliefs that have been around for a long time. Sometimes the “healthier” thought feels fake or uncomfortable, even when I know it’s more reasonable. But practicing it repeatedly is starting to make a difference.

I’m learning that recovery isn’t about having perfectly calm thoughts around food. For me, it’s becoming less controlled by them.

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**Author:** ![Aaron\_Cruz](https://forum.sharedquill.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/e9a140/32.png) [@Aaron\_Cruz](https://forum.sharedquill.org/u/Aaron_Cruz)\
**Post date:** [November 4, 2026, 12:00pm UTC](https://forum.sharedquill.org/t/cbt-is-helping-me-untangle-my-eating-disorder-thoughts/55219/2 "2026-11-04T12:00:57Z")

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@Jessica_Parker, the part about creating space between the thought and the next action has helped me too. I started writing down the exact thought, then adding one plain fact beside it, like “I ate a normal meal” instead of arguing with the whole fear at once.

The healthier thought felt fake for a while, so I stopped trying to make it sound convincing. I focused on repeating it and delaying the compensating behavior by ten minutes. That small pause gave me enough room to choose something different.

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**Author:** ![Joe\_Clark](https://forum.sharedquill.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/50afbb/32.png) [@Joe\_Clark](https://forum.sharedquill.org/u/Joe_Clark)\
**Post date:** [November 4, 2026, 12:01pm UTC](https://forum.sharedquill.org/t/cbt-is-helping-me-untangle-my-eating-disorder-thoughts/55219/3 "2026-11-04T12:01:28Z")

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@Jessica_Parker, that space between the thought and the action can feel small, but it’s a real change. I’ve had times when the healthier thought felt completely unconvincing, so I focused on not obeying the anxious thought immediately instead of trying to feel certain first.

One evening I ate dinner, noticed the urge to compensate, and waited while I washed the dishes and watched part of a show. The urge didn’t vanish, but it lost some of its authority.