Recovery From Six Feet Away: Connection, Creativity, and the Coronavirus

Over a decade ago, Ed (a.k.a. my “eating disorder”) would have used the coronavirus as a perfect excuse to keep me holed up in my own personal quarantine of disaster and destruction. Depression would have wholeheartedly agreed: “You can’t reach out for support. It isn’t safe.” Years later, trauma, stuck on high alert, surely would have chimed in: “Yes, connecting is life-threatening. It could kill you.”    

Has Ed — or another mental illness — hijacked the pandemic to strengthen its agenda? The first step is to see it. I wouldn’t be surprised to hear Ed spout off any of the following:

“It’s okay to binge because this is an extra stressful time. You can stop when COVID-19 stops.”

“Don’t eat. There is a food shortage.”

“Purging — just for now — is acceptable. You have to manage your extra high anxiety somehow.”

Here’s a key tip: If Ed is opening his mouth, he is lying.

Worldwide pandemic or not, recovery must come first. No matter what, we must continue to follow healing principles. This means, in part, doing recovery from six feet away, which is how far the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has asked us to separate from others. The buzzword phrase is “social distancing,” and it is meant to prevent the spread of the virus. It is not a free pass to relapse (as Ed would have told me).

This is a time to get creative. We can practice flexing our black-and-white thinking muscles all the way to some gray flexibility. More than ever, this is the time for technology to shine. Maybe we can’t attend a support meeting in person, but we can go to virtual meetings. The follow list is just a handful of available options.

If you can’t find a meeting that fits what you need, start one! Create your own meetings using Zoom, GoToMeeting, or another platform. We could certainly use more 12-Step and other support meetings that focus on healing from trauma and PTSD. Years ago, I had to travel over 1,000 miles from my hometown of Austin, Texas, to meet others with trauma who “got it” in a PTSD-specific treatment program.

All the new social distancing rules are stressful, especially for extroverts and those in recovery who rely on community support. Fortunately, with our smart phones, we can quite literally keep recovery in our pockets. Sharing apps with friends at a restaurant might not be an option right now, but connecting over mobile apps still is, so use this downtime to explore these helpful applications.

Recovery-Related Mobile Apps

• Recovery Record – Based in evidence, Recovery Record enables those with eating disorders to connect, not only with others who get it, but also with treatment professionals. You can even take a picture of your plate and send it to your dietitian.
• Recovery Warriors – In addition to the Rise Up + Recover mobile app, Recovery Warriors host a plethora of online classes and ways to connect, including book groups.
• Social Media – Social media platforms sometimes get a bad rap, but right now pro-recovery social media pages can be essential tools. You might even consider starting your own recovery community using private groups.

If maintaining recovery on an average day seems like a herculean feat, keeping it together during a worldwide pandemic may seem impossible.

On the morning of September 11, 2001, Ed tried to pull me deeper into his abyss of misery as unspeakable tragedy overtook our country. Gratefully, with the help of my treatment team, I came to see Ed’s tactics. With the help of my recovery friends who held my hope when I couldn’t, I took action. Through staying connected, we fueled each other’s stick-to-itiveness. 

Nearly two decades later, I am fully recovered from my eating disorder, and so are many of my friends. In 2001, my phone was not “smart,” but gratefully, our collective mind was smarter than Ed. Today, my phone’s IQ has shot up, and, in spite of everything, we still have each other

A lot seems impossible — until we do it. And we do the impossible all of the time.