Decades long ED and first therapy session

[SavannahKT]

Hi all,
I’m nearly 35 and I’ve struggled with bulimia since my teenage years.
I’ve finally come to terms with the fact that I need, I want help to try and get better, so I’ve booked my first session with a therapist, on monday morning. It’s going to be the first time that I ever talk to someone about it, and I’m kind of freaking out.
What should I expect? Am I completely hopeless or could there be a light at the end of the tunnel?

Thanks

They spend time getting you to sign stuff and tell you what they do.

Is this a bulimic specialist? (If there is such a thing).

You just talk about your issues.

Firstly, sending a massive hug to you in congratulations. That's take guts, well done.

Therapy depends - what kind of therapy, do they have ED specialty etc. Am a fellow 30-something and been in out of ED services and standard/ED therapy since I was 18. The space is too vast to offer specific advice without details - and even with details, everyone goes through something different.

But a few pointers;

• Be completely honest
• Allow time to build trust with your therapist, but also trust your gut if they are not helping or actually hindering you
• Be patient (I mean really, really patient)
• Be prepared to spend a few sessions going over who you are, your family, your relationships, and key points of trauma in your past
• Create a weekly recurring time for the appointment and make a routine around it once you know how you'll be. Some like doing it early to distract themselves after with work etc, some do it and end of day and may have evening activity planned or a friend on standby for an uplifting call
• Journal your experience to elongate the therapy session once it is done - what was discussed, how it makes you feel, was there something now making more sense to you, were you hiding something subconsciously, etc

It is NEVER too late. I was in an ED inpatient ward for a while and some fellow patients/service users were well into their fourties and had been struggling since puberty, only to turn their lives around. It's not easy - but it's never too late x