Why Is It So Hard to Change Eating Disorder Behaviors?

And how your brain still makes recovery possible

I know how it feels when behaviors become automatic and you don't need a trigger to engage in them—you just do them out of habit. There is a neurobiological reason behind this. Every time you engage in a behavior, the connection between the neurons encoding that behavior in your brain gets stronger. So, the next time, it will be easier to repeat that behavior instead of doing something different, since the neural pathway is already well established.

Imagine placing a marble at the top of a mound of sand. When you let go, the marble rolls down, creating a small path in the sand. The next time you release the marble, it is more likely to follow the same path because the groove is already there. This groove makes it easier and more likely for the marble to travel that way again.

This is similar to how our behaviors become ingrained in our brains. Repeating an action or thought creates a neural pathway, much like the groove in the sand. With each repetition, the pathway becomes stronger, making it easier for our brain to repeat the same behavior in the future. This is why positive or negative habits can become automatic and hard to change.

Luckily, our brains are capable of change. Just like you can reshape the mound of sand or create new paths by guiding the marble in different directions, you can reshape your brain's neural pathways by intentionally practicing new behaviors and thoughts. Over time, these new pathways can become stronger and overwrite the old ones.

I think the most important thing when trying to stop automatic behaviors is to do it gradually and have realistic expectations. You likely won't be able to go cold turkey when you have automatic behaviors. I reached the point where most of my eating disorder behaviors were automatic, but I still managed to recover. If I could do it, so can you.

For example, if you are bingeing and purging multiple times a day, it isn't realistic to try never to do it again. It would be more achievable to set a goal to delay bingeing for 15 minutes, journal about the feelings that come up, or reach out to a safe person before you purge. Then you can move on to trying journaling, reaching out, or some other form of distraction/self-soothing instead of one of your binge-purge cycles. Eventually, you will be able to go for a whole day without using eating disorder behaviors.

You may think, What's the point in delaying bingeing and purging if you end up doing it anyway? But this is how you make behaviors less automatic. You weaken the connection between the neurons responsible for the behavior and build new neuronal pathways that encode healthier behaviors.

Setting realistic goals is essential for multiple reasons. If you set the bar too low, you won't be making progress, but if you set it too high, you will likely get frustrated, lose motivation, and eventually give up. Remember, it is better to aim for progress than to set unrealistic goals and end up feeling like a failure.

Disclaimer: The content I provide is intended for broad educational purposes only and should not be taken as specific medical or psychological advice regarding eating disorders. It is not a recommendation or substitute for professional treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician, therapist, or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding an eating disorder or any other mental health issue.