For Highly Sensitive People (HSPs), misinformation about having an eating disorder and recovering from one can be particularly damaging. With heightened empathy and awareness, HSPs can internalize false beliefs and their loved ones can struggle to support them effectively.

Let's explore some myths about eating disorders, and shed light on the truths that Highly Sensitive individuals need to know. By busting these myths, HSPs can foster a more knowledgeable, empowered approach to these serious conditions and loved ones can become more compassionate, informed supporters.

Myth: "My sensitivity caused my eating disorder."

Truth: Highly Sensitive People have an increased risk of developing an eating disorder because our culture is not one that particularly supports or values sensitivity.

If sensitivity caused eating disorders, every HSP would have a history of one, and that's certainly not the case. We are human-tuning forks and can easily sense what's happening both on and below the surface. But HSPs are also the "canaries in the coal mine." We are more susceptible to cultural toxicities - e.g. Diet Culture.

Like all traits, there are upsides and downsides. Generally speaking, High Sensitivity is mostly a wonderful trait and a huge asset.

One liability, however, is the tendency to become overstimulated more quickly than non-HSPs, and that overstimulation can turn to overwhelm if sensitive folks don't have the right tools to manage it.

Eating disorders can become a way of coping with that overwhelm.

Myth: "I'm just being dramatic. My problems aren't that bad."

Truth: All eating disorders (no matter your weight, how long you've struggled, or what behaviors you do or don't engage in) are serious and deserving of proper treatment.

This myth is internalized invalidation at its finest. HSPs are not being dramatic. We genuinely experience stimuli more intensely than other people. Our reactions are actually proportional to our heightened perceptions and internal processing - it's just that outsiders can't clearly understand this because their brains are wired differently.

I grew up hearing I was "too sensitive." All HSPs do, to some degree. The label "too sensitive" is usually used in a situation where the sensitive person is not responding or behaving in a way the other person expects. Our sensitive response can throw a kink in the system. But our responses are guided that way by our inner compass for a reason. When we're not encouraged to explore that or are invalidated by being told we're "too sensitive", we start doubting ourselves.

So of course we'd doubt that our problems are real and deserving of support.

Myth: "I'm not capable of handling the stress of recovery."

Truth: If you are living with an eating disorder, you have what it takes to recover from one.

Highly Sensitive People often need more recovery time after stressful situations, but it does not imply an inability to manage stress. HSPs can actually handle stress quite effectively when they can employ coping strategies that work for them. Coping tools are not "one-size-fits-all", especially for neurodivergent folks. 

Yes, eating disorder recovery is very challenging. Living with an eating disorder is also very challenging. When you begin to see that it does indeed require strength and fortitude to sustain one, you also begin to see how you could channel that energy into something better.

I want to be clear - I don't mean that I think the ability to engage in behaviors (like skipping meals or purging) indicates strength. I mean that people who develop disordered eating found a way to survive - and many continue to do so for years until they sadly no longer can. Recovery is a different kind of hard. But it's a good hard.

Myth: "If I can just change my eating habits, I'd be fine."

Truth: Stabilizing nutrition and eating patterns is a crucial part of recovery but it's only one piece of the puzzle.

If changing the way you eat was enough (and as simple as it sounds), people who develop these disorders would likely develop them again at some point or would develop other addiction-type struggles. That's because the root causes are not being addressed.

Recovery is a holistic process. Dealing with the psychological, emotional, behavioral, and environmental aspects of the disorder is crucial for a lasting, full recovery. HSPs must understand how their trait contributed to the development of the disorder and learn new ways to approach their sensitivity. The word "recovery" doesn't really fit here because you're not returning to a previous version of yourself. You're evolving.

Myth: "I have to become less sensitive to recover."

Truth: HSPs benefit not from stifling their sensitivity, but by learning strategies that help them manage and empower it.

The High Sensitivity trait cannot be erased by sheer willpower. It's not a matter of "toughening up." You can heal from an eating disorder, but your sensitivity is with you for life. However, it IS a trait that you can come to not only accept but embrace.

Yes, my sensitivity has made things challenging for me, and there were years when I would have wished it away if I could have. I would never do that now. My High Sensitivity makes me ME. It is a gift to my life and to the lives of those around me.

I actually feel that I'm getting more sensitive now in my post-recovery years. That's not uncommon with aging, but I believe it's also because I've stopped masking. Doing so has allowed me to revel in the gifts of this trait, and to continue to collect tools that support and empower me. I want that for you too.

You, dear HSP, have a mission.

Your sensitivity can be a beacon of hope and understanding in a world that is often lacking both. As you continue to learn about your sensitivity and grow in your recovery, let's vow together to challenge misconceptions, advocate for those in need, and promote a more empathetic approach to mental health and whole-hearted living.

You are so needed, so capable and so deserving. 💕

✨ Josie Munroe, LMFT is a licensed therapist and owner of JosieMunroe.com and Your Sensitive Recovery  As a recovered clinician and Highly Sensitive Person, she loves supporting others on their journeys to form new, empowered relationships with food, their bodies, and their sensitivity. Join the newsletter for a weekly boost of hope and inspiration. You deserve a recovery that works for you! ✨