How Does Self-Identity Change in Eating Disorder Recovery?

Abstract

Eating disorder recovery is a widely studied topic in the field of psychology, and our knowledge base is still evolving today. In part, this is because there are many ways these issues can manifest in a person’s life, and therefore, many ways recovery can unfold. The concept of recovery is rooted in the medical model of illness and healing, which focuses on observable and measurable changes such as weight and behavioral change. Although important parts of the process, these factors alone do not fully capture the changes to a person’s sense of self that can occur in the recovery process. The current study illustrates a qualitative approach to understanding recovery by examining how a person’s self-identity, including its sociocultural dimensions, changes throughout an eating disorder. Twelve participants were interviewed, and the data were analyzed with reflexive thematic analysis. Themes reflecting the participants’ recovered self-identity include self-identity loss and reconstruction, embodied selfhood, and social isolation and reconnection. This study contributes to our understanding of what helps people more fully engage with life and feel liberated from the restrictions of their eating disorder.