Post by Becky Stone

One of the things I see most often isn’t someone who has “stopped caring” about the people around them. It’s someone who desperately wants to say yes… …but feels they can’t. An eating disorder doesn’t just affect food. It changes confidence. It changes relationships. It changes how safe someone feels around other people. Over time, birthdays get missed. Coffee invitations are declined. Messages go unanswered. Not because they don’t care, but because the anxiety, shame or exhaustion has become overwhelming. From the outside, it can look like someone is withdrawing. From the inside, they’re often fighting one of the hardest battles of their life. As a therapist specialising in eating disorders, I think this hidden loneliness deserves far more attention. Recovery isn’t only about eating differently. It’s about slowly rebuilding trust, reconnecting with people, and finding the confidence to step back into a life that has gradually become smaller. Sometimes recovery starts with something as simple as replying to one message. Accepting one invitation. Having one coffee. One small step really can change everything. I’ve written a new blog exploring why eating disorders affect friendships so deeply, and what both sufferers and loved ones can do to begin rebuilding those connections. I’d love to hear your thoughts. Have you noticed how much mental health can affect relationships—not because people stop caring, but because they stop feeling safe enough to reach out? https://lnkd.in/g7qcQjyd #EatingDisorderRecovery #EatingDisorderAwareness #MentalHealth #Therapist #Counselling #TraumaInformed #BodyImage #AnorexiaRecovery #BulimiaRecovery #BingeEatingRecovery #NeurodivergentAffirming #Canterbury #OnlineTherapy #Connection #RecoveryJourney