I think it can really help to know the reasons behind the eating disorder. It's not always easy - hence, I guess, the extreme lengths people go to in order to avoid dealing with those issues - and it doesn't necessarily mean someone will be ready to deal with that, but it is useful to know, in my opinion.
Personally for me, I think it really helps. There's that rational side of me that knows exactly why I'm doing what I'm doing, and even though sometimes the urge to do it is stronger than the rational thoughts, it means I know deep down that it's not going to help. It's horrible at the time because I go through that conflict of 'I want to do it but I know I shouldn't' and I hate myself so much during that time that it's like a cycle - I hate myself so I do [whatever] more, then I hate myself more, etc. But it also means that once I do find a way to talk about the real problems or deal with those issues, or once they get slightly better, it means I'm able to 'recover' a lot more quickly, if that makes sense.
But I guess that depends on what the issues are, how long it's been going on, etc. But you're not alone in that feeling at all. Have you got anyone you can talk to about your issues, a counsellor or anyone? Maybe they could help you to work out why this started for you, and what caused those painful feelings?
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