H.A.L.T. stands for Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired
Those are my checkpoints – when my head starts to spin from stress and my whole body aches, I stop and go through the list…. Am I hungry? Am I angry? Am I lonely? or Am I tired?
Those are the basics that need to be dealt with first – AND – they are not dealt with by hanging over a toilet bowl or running. When life gets to be too much you have to remember to simplify and, to quote one of my favorite lines from Eating Disorders Anonymous literature, “recovery is about feelings, not food, but we can’t reason or build trust when bingeing, purging or starving.” And it’s true – it’s hard to face some of life’s biggest challenges (or even the small ones) when you are starving or obsessed with your body image, to the point of harming yourself.
Take care of yourself – first and foremost – then you will have more to offer those around you.
(Image from National Eating Disorder Awareness Week Campaign)
