When You Can’t Unfollow

Studies suggest that up to 90% of people use photo-editing tools or filters on images they post to social media.

The average person spends more than two hours each day on social media platforms, creating an enormous amount of exposure to curated and digitally altered images.

Because of this, individuals recovering from eating disorders are often encouraged to intentionally manage the algorithms that shape their social media feeds.

Now imagine that you have carefully curated your feed to support your recovery.

You follow celebrities who encourage body positivity. 

You connect with brands that embrace inclusivity.

You watch creators who celebrate their bodies as they are.

Then, suddenly, those messages begin to change.

What happens when the people you looked to for encouragement begin endorsing ideas they once rejected? What happens when someone shifts from sharing body-positive content to promoting medicated weight loss, intense exercise routines, or the latest diet trend?

More importantly, what happens when those messages are not coming from a screen but from someone who is a constant presence in your daily life?

For individuals recovering from an eating disorder, watching a friend, family member, or partner pursue weight loss or embrace diet culture can evoke a wide range of emotions. You may experience sadness, fear, jealousy, anger, grief, or self-doubt as old thoughts about body size, food, and self-worth begin to resurface. It is also common to question your own recovery when conversations increasingly revolve around calories, dieting, exercise, or physical appearance.

These emotional responses do not mean you are failing in your recovery or that you are unsupportive of the other person. Rather, they often signal that your recovery values are coming into conflict with messages rooted in diet culture. Viewing these emotions as information instead of evidence allows you to respond with greater awareness and self-compassion.

Ask yourself:

What emotion am I experiencing?

What triggered this feeling?

What belief about myself or my body is being activated?

Reflecting on these questions can help you identify what you need to continue protecting your recovery.

Take time in individual therapy to explore how setting boundaries around diet-related conversations, limiting exposure to triggering content, seeking support from trusted individuals, or reconnecting with values that prioritize health, flexibility, and self-acceptance over weight or appearance can help.  If you’re in need of a therapist to explore these ideas with try looking for local providers on NEDA’s website or check out the team members at Birely Counseling Services.