The holiday season is a busy time for everyone. As such, it’s no surprise that many people who struggle with eating disorders view this as an inopportune time to get the treatment they need. They tell themselves that there is enough going on during the holidays even without the commitment to eating disorder treatment, and that perhaps they can get the help they need once the dust settles and things cool down.

There are a few problems with this thinking. One is that, for most of us, life is plenty busy all the time—not just during the holidays. If you delay treatment until your slate is totally clean, you’re simply never going to get treatment.

But more to the point, the holiday season can be an especially difficult time for those with eating disorders. One reason for this is that the holidays tend to be very food-centric. Big family meals, holiday gatherings, festive goodies—these things are often front and center, which can make a struggle with an eating disorder that much more difficult to weather.

Eating disorders are not primarily about food, though; more significant than food is stress, and the holidays tend to serve up plenty of that. Stressors due to work, family, holiday shopping—whatever it is, it can trigger greater issues with an eating disorder.

A proper recovery program can provide the tools necessary to cope with this stress and stick to a healthy meal plan. In other words, seeking treatment may be exactly what you need to not just survive the holidays, but to thrive during them—and to make the first steps toward long-term recovery.

Don’t delay in seeking treatment, then, and don’t use the holidays as an excuse to put it off. Now more than ever, seeking treatment is imperative!

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