Recovery in Real Life: The Halloween Trap

If you’ve ever struggled with an eating disorder (or your relationship to food/treats and body image), it’s NO surprise that Halloween can present a huge challenge and potential pitfall on the road to food freedom and recovery. At it’s best, Halloween represents a holiday that prioritizes time with friends and chosen family, opportunities to gather and make memories together, to try on a new persona with a costume, and flex your creativity, all while having access to drinks and candy that offer a sensual experience of enjoyment and pleasure. At it’s worst, Halloween can make our bodies feel like they are on display for other people’s appraisal and comes with an impossible paradox of expectations, especially for someone struggling with an eating disorder.