I was recently listening to a podcast episode by Summer Innanen and was recommended the book “Reclaiming Body Trust; A Path To Healing and Liberation”. This book is full of the voices of people who have taken the journey to reclaiming body trust and body acceptance. The stories are remarkable. The beginning of the book asks questions to get you to think about when and how your distrust for your body began:
What are some of your earliest memories of having a body?
How did you first come to learn that certain bodies were better than others?
What are some childhood experiences that impacted your ability to feel at home in your body?
What did the adults in your life teach you about weight and health?
I went about my body trust journey in a unique way, without any support (not recommended). My journey to body trust was different than many, as I have always lived in a body that is not criticized by society, the people around me, my healthcare team, co-workers, etc. While I worked alone in reclaiming my own body trust after years and years of restriction and disordered eating, my journey to reclaiming body trust never involved accepting a body that society did not accept. While society accepted my body, however, I did not, because it wasn’t the perfect look as seen in Seventeen magazine or my favorite movies growing up. I know, for me, my lost trust really started with an obsession to be in control. Looking back, I believe learning to sit with with my feelings and asking the tough questions would have been helpful.
I was once told “Gina, you can’t heal until you feel”, and it’s taken me a long time to realize what that means. Feeling your emotions instead of pushing them aside, confronting where your body shame and distrust started and how it developed, it’s all a part of healing. Let me know if you buy the book and find it helpful.
