Eating disorders don’t follow a timeline, and neither does recovery. People may seek treatment in adolescence, others in college or middle age, or in their senior years.
Mia, Olivia, Kate and Amy each began their recovery in a different stage of life. Their stories show that while the challenges may differ, recovery is possible at any age. Here’s what our former patients have learned along the way.
Navigating recovery as a teen
Mia, a former Eating Recovery Center (ERC) patient, started treatment around her 13th birthday after moving from London to Colorado.
“I had been struggling with eating before the move, but after the Marshall Fire [the most destructive fire in Colorado history] my ability to cope was severely diminished. This affected my eating and resulted in obsessive habits that led me to treatment,” Mia says.
Recovery hasn’t been easy, but Mia has found it worth every challenge. Here are some of the most important lessons she learned as a teenager in recovery.
Recovery is so worth the highs and lows
Starting treatment was a difficult process. “I struggled at first but soon realized that I needed to commit to recovery,” says Mia. “I was determined to feel like myself again.”
“It’s not easy, but fully investing your effort into recovery makes it possible to have the life you deserve,” shares Mia.
“Recovery allowed me to finish seventh grade. Now, I’m a sophomore in high school, having made new friends, explored my new home state and tried new sports. I’m truly appreciative of the life I now have because of recovery,” she adds.
Therapy can help you through tough moments
Meeting with her outpatient therapist after treatment has been a tremendous resource for Mia. “I have been able to build my toolbox of coping skills with breathing and present-moment methods, which have helped me the most,” she shares.
You can enjoy food again
“I thought I would never be able to enjoy dessert or try new foods before going into treatment,” Mia says. “In the depths of my eating disorder, I was petrified of having dessert, let alone savoring it.” But now, recovery has helped her rediscover the joy of food and experiences she once avoided.
Accepting help is hard but important
“I understand how hard it can be to accept help,” Mia shares. But allowing support from family, friends and care professionals has made her recovery possible.
“Whenever I have struggled with anxiety or stress, they are a source of comfort I can always confide in.”
Finding recovery as a young adult in college
For Olivia, a new college student, recovery wasn’t something she planned. At first, she didn’t even realize she had an eating disorder.
“The winter after my first term of college, I felt a huge change in myself. Not only had my body changed, but I was filled with anxiety and depression that I could not shake,” she shares.
Hoping things would improve, Olivia returned for her second term, but everything got worse. When her mom visited her in February, she completely broke down.
“I didn’t know what was going on or why I felt and looked the way I did, but my mom felt it too. That was when I decided to seek some sort of treatment,” Olivia says.
Initially, she sought help for her anxiety and depression at Pathlight Mood & Anxiety Center, not realizing that an eating disorder was at play. But in April 2023, she was admitted to ERC, where her treatment journey began.
Pausing college for treatment was hard but necessary
One of the hardest parts of Olivia’s recovery was putting college on hold.
“I had always been passionate about school and attributed a lot of my worth to it. So when I was told I had to put school on pause and be in treatment full time, I was hesitant,” she says.
Leaving her dorm, moving back to her home state for care, and watching friends and family continue with their lives was difficult. “It felt like everyone was moving on,” explains Olivia. But as time passed, she realized that treatment was worthwhile.
“Even though it may seem like an inconvenience at the time, I can confidently say that every aspect of my life has improved since putting college on hold and getting the help I needed.”
Many aspects of life can change for the better
Olivia never imagined how much she would improve after treatment.
“I actually feel confident in myself. I stand up for myself and am not riddled with anxiety when I do so.”
She also developed a better relationship with food, making everyday life more enjoyable.
“I eat so many foods now that I avoided for a long time. It has made social gatherings, eating out and just life in general much more manageable and pleasant!”
Different coping strategies can help in different moments
What works one day might not work the next. Having a variety of ways to cope can help you navigate each situation as it arises.
“The two tactics that helped me most in treatment were talking to someone I trust and finding a distraction,” Olivia shares.
Some days, talking to family, playing games with close friends or meeting with her therapist helps most. Other times, Olivia leans on strategies she can apply on her own.
“If someone isn’t available, journaling is a great way to get things off your mind by just putting them on paper. And if that doesn’t work, I recommend self-care or reading a book.”
One day, you’ll be grateful you took this step
Olivia believes everything happens for a reason. While you may not feel that way about recovery right now, she wants others to know:
“It is so worth it! I know it may feel like you’re falling behind or not strong enough, but I promise you can do it.”
For her, the most challenging moments of recovery shaped who she is today.
“I am so much better at handling my emotions, seeking help and being present than I was before treatment. Yes, at times treatment is hard, but I wholeheartedly believe I would not be here without it. For that, I am forever grateful.”
Starting recovery as an adult
Kate knew it was time to seek help in her 30s when she realized she’d become a person she no longer recognized.
“My eating disorder had been present since I was a child, but it kept evolving, and I felt like it had taken over my whole life. I had been surviving rather than living for years, and trying to change anything felt too daunting,” she says.
Taking that first step wasn’t easy. However, recovery has given her something she never expected — peace within herself. Here’s what she’s learned along the way.
You don’t have to live the rest of your life with an eating disorder
Kate knows what it’s like to believe it’s too late to recover. “I know it’s a cliché, but it really is never too late to seek help,” she says.
“I still have days where I struggle with the fact that I didn’t ask for help sooner, but I am very glad I made the choice to seek help when I did.”
While it hasn’t been easy to change the mentality she has carried for a lifetime, Kate reminds us that change is possible. “It is so worth not having to live the remainder of my life with my eating disorder,” she adds.
You can’t change the past, but you can choose what happens next
For Kate, the hardest part of recovering in her 30s has been accepting how long she lived with her eating disorder.
"I still have days when I judge myself for not getting help sooner,” Kate admits. “But I try to focus on the future I’m now able to build rather than the past when I was just coping in the only ways I knew how.”
When recovery feels hard, remind yourself why you started
On the toughest days, Kate turns to something simple but powerful: her own words.
“On my worst body image days or when the intrusive thoughts are very loud, I look back at some of my journal entries from when I was in treatment. Reading them takes me back to those feelings and reminds me that I truly never want to live that way again.”
You can feel good about your body
Before recovery, Kate never thought she could feel confident in her body. But now, a couple of years into recovery, that has changed.
"I can genuinely say that I not only appreciate my body and physically feel good in it, but I can also look at myself and feel good about what I see. I no longer obsess over my body and what others may be thinking about it,” she says.
Seeking recovery later in life
For Amy, starting treatment at age 60 came after what she considers a “God moment” of clarity.
“I realized I was bingeing and restricting — something I had never even considered before,” she shares.
Recovery at an older age comes with its own challenges, but Amy found healing, connection and a new path forward. Here are some of the lessons she’s learned as an older adult.
It’s never too late to get help
Amy’s eating disorder began when she was 16, but it wasn’t until decades later that she fully understood its impact.
“The hardest part about recovery over 60 is realizing the decades-long negative effect on relationships and my physical health,” Amy shares.
While navigating treatment without peers her age was also difficult, Amy believes the experience was well worth it. “It’s never too late to seek recovery and start living your life,” she says.
Breaking free from food rules is possible
For years, Amy believed she couldn’t eat without strict rules guiding her choices.
“I never thought I’d be able to eat normally in any capacity because of my overwhelming, distorted thought processes that included rules of all kinds,” she says.
Recovery helped her challenge those beliefs and let go of those patterns, opening the door to a new relationship with food.
Exercise should feel good, not forced
Before recovery, Amy’s exercise habits were tied to self-imposed rules and the need to burn calories. “I never thought I’d be able to do any form of exercise without feeling as if I had to,” she shares. Now, she has learned to move in ways that she enjoys — without pressure or obligation.
Stay connected to what gives you strength
When recovery becomes tough, Amy leans on what matters most to her. “Community is everything, as well as my faith,” she said. She developed friendships with other women in recovery through a faith-based program she found.
“My faith in God and the strength I receive from Him is everything! I also rely strongly on practicing all the various forms of psychotherapy that I learned.”
Leaning on loved ones always makes a difference
Recovery isn’t something you have to do alone. For Mia, Olivia, Kate and Amy, having a support system by their side made a real impact.
Mia’s parents recognized when she needed help and stood by her through the hardest moments — from feeling homesick while in treatment to supporting a friend whose eating disorder reminded her of her own struggles. Olivia’s parents encouraged her to pause school and focus on healing, while friends and family gave her the space to open up on her own terms.
“It took me a while to tell people what was going on, but when I did there was no judgment. Most people didn’t understand at first, but they were still there for me, and now we have better relationships than ever,” Olivia shares.
For Kate, her mom has been one of her biggest sources of support — not because she always knows what to say, but because she’s willing to listen and learn.
“My mom has been open to learning and trying to understand what I’ve experienced, and she has helped other family members better understand how to support me,” she says.
Amy feels similarly. “The family support I received and how engaged my sister was in the process was very helpful,” she shares. While support looks different for everyone, one thing is clear: Having people you can turn to makes recovery more manageable at any age or stage of life.
Recovery is possible at every age
No two recovery stories look the same. Mia, Olivia, Kate and Amy started at different points in life, faced unique challenges and found their own ways forward. But one thing that remains true for all of them is that seeking help changed everything.
Through their stories — and so many others — we know that recovery is possible. Whether you’re a teenager navigating changes, a college student balancing school, an adult in midlife or a senior, it’s never too early, never too late, and always worth it.
If you or someone you love is struggling with an eating disorder, help is available. At ERC, we provide personalized care for individuals of all ages and all eating disorders. To learn more, call us at 866-622-5914 or reach out for a free assessment. It just takes one call to get started.
