It’s Never Too Late To Recover

Back in October 2020 I started working with Julie. She’s a client who was in her early 50s but had been struggling with an eating disorder since her teenage years.

There were times over these decades when things were especially bad and then other points where she was much more functional. But during all of this time concerns with food, weight, and exercise were always present.

For the last couple of years prior to October 2020, Julie had been trying to recover. Things had improved a little, but she was still struggling. Anxiety, depression and overwhelm were a regular facet of her life and there were many ups and downs with her mood and appetite, that would continually get in the way of recovery.

In the 18 months that I have worked with Julie, the changes have been huge.

There has been a monumental shift in her relationship with food, exercise, her body and her physical and mental health. And as we reach the point of finishing up working together, she has sent over the below refection on how this experience has been for her.

“I cannot imagine where I would be today were it not for Chris Sandel of Seven Health. I came across his work at some point in 2019 after entering treatment in March of the previous year for a very long history of anorexia nervosa that had begun almost four decades before.

Despite working with a nutritionist and a therapist for more than a year, I was still firmly entrenched in the hellish prison of “quasi” recovery, unable to comprehend how I could completely walk away from what I believed to have been my identity for as long as I could remember. Nor could I imagine a way forward without it.  

No doubt searching for every last bit of information I could find on the recovery process without actually doing much about it myself, I came across the brilliant Chris Sandel and his “Real Health Radio” podcast.

I cannot remember which episode I listened to first, but I do know that I was quickly impressed by his sharp intellect, engaging interviewing skills, and refreshing perspective on the meaning of health, often at odds with the diet culture nonsense we are constantly bombarded with our whole lives.

When I later heard Chris talk about the Minnesota Starvation Experiment in the first of three episodes he has released to date, I made the fateful yet frightening decision to contact him.  

I instinctively believed that he could be the one to help get me past this miserable impasse that so many of us find ourselves stuck in on our recovery journeys.

I scheduled the free initial chat that Chris offers but didn’t go through with it at first, probably afraid of committing wholly to the recovery process. A couple of months later, I felt ready. I knew from the first few minutes of speaking with Chris that working with him was going to be the best investment I could make for myself and my future.  

For someone who has built his life’s work on combining science with compassion, Chris offers exactly that to his clients. Sharing his vast wealth of knowledge in the area of eating disorders, body image struggles, and mental health issues.

In his characteristically gentle way, he serves as an incredibly sympathetic and steadfast anchor in a swirling sea of internal chaos and confusion.

Without ever having experienced an eating disorder himself, Chris somehow intuitively understands us when most others cannot, and even when we are unable to make sense of it ourselves.

Without ever telling his clients what they should do or which plan they should follow, he is brilliant at delicately guiding us to explore our own true selves and find the way forward. He does this in a manner that’s both empowering and authentic, supporting us during what will likely be the most harrowing journey we will ever take in our lives.  

Although Chris was trained as a nutritionist and not a therapist, I have gotten more out of our sessions together than any other therapy or psychotherapy I have participated in before or since.

Through our long conversations and the additional resources that Chris recommends, I came to the surprising conclusion that I also have ADHD, and this has helped to explain so much about my past and present struggles. Although I am choosing not to be treated specifically for this condition, having this self-knowledge has been incredibly eye opening and has allowed me to give myself grace for why I am the way I am.

My work with Chris began in October 2020, when I was struggling with debilitating anxiety and feeling absolutely hopeless about the future, believing, like everyone who embarks on this path, that we are the unicorn for whom recovery will not be possible.

As the five-month mark of working with Chris was soon approaching and some of the fog was beginning to lift, I knew that I was not ready to go it on my own and still continue with the progress I had been making. I signed up for another five months of session and after that, yet another.

Living with an eating disorder for so many years necessitates a mountain of unlearning…

…and unpacking close to a lifetime’s worth of beliefs and behaviours before rebuilding anew. I am now at the end of my third term working with Chris, with just one session remaining.

I had started spacing out our conversations a while back, mainly for the reason of not needing such frequent support. But also, if I’m being perfectly honest, because I am going to miss the steadfast presence of this extraordinary man whose kindness, empathy and wisdom have become paramount in my life.

Although there will no doubt be many ups and downs along the way and times when I struggle, I believe that I will be able to continue the journey on my own from this point on.

I am eternally grateful to Chris for the gifts he has given me in our time together and know they will continue to illuminate my path ahead to a free and fulfilling future.”

Julie is the perfect example that it’s never too late to recover and that even if thoughts and behaviours have been entrenched for decades, they can be changed.

Are you wanting to recover and are struggling to do this on your own? Are there are parts of Julie’s story that you resonate with?

I’m a leading expert and advocate for full recovery. I’ve been working with clients for over 15 years and understand what needs to happen to recover.

I truly believe that you can reach a place where the eating disorder is a thing of the past and I want to help you get there. If you want to fully recover and drastically increase the quality of your life, I’d love to help.

Want to get a FREE online course created specifically for those wanting full recovery? Discover the first 5 steps to take in your eating disorder recovery. This course shows you how to take action and the exact step-by-step process. To get instant access, click the button below.