Managing the College Transition…When You’ve Had an Eating Disorder

The College Transition

The day is finally approaching. You’ve gotten through college admissions tests, completed your applications, waited patiently for acceptances, and chosen your school. You’ve gone to prom. You are looking forward to finally being more independent and living away from home. You are learning about your roommate(s) and thinking about the classes you’ll register for.

Your eating disorder may not be top of mind, but it’s a good time to think about it.  Whether you’ve had anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, ARFID, or disordered eating it’s important to continue to prioritize recovery.

You—maybe with the help of your family—have worked hard at eating disorder recovery. There are steps you can take to maintain your recovery, prevent relapse, and maximize your opportunity for the full college experience.

The college transition can be challenging. There will be new pressures. The academics may be more difficult than you were accustomed to in high school. The food will be different from meals at home. You are much more on your own. Many students find the beginning of college lonely. Social media can give the impression that everyone else is having more fun than you are. You may be homesick or miss your friends from high school.

See why you don’t need to fear “The Freshman 15.”

College Transition Readiness Checklist

Unsure whether you are ready for the challenge of college? Review our  Eating Disorder College Readiness Checklist

Below are some strategies to help you maintain recovery in college.

Line Up Your Support System

Ahead of your college transition, think carefully about your supports and remember to use them. Recovery is hard—it’s even harder when you go it alone. Isolating often makes things worse. While you may feel reluctant to reach out to your supports, they will want to be there for you. Try to keep in touch with them so you feel more connected.

Your support people may include your treatment team, friends, family, and even new people in the college environment such as resident advisors. Think about who you can call, text, or see in person. Keep a list of your supports on your phone to remember you are not alone.

Use your support people to get through the inevitable hard spots you will face during the college transition.

If you have a treatment team it is important to know whether they can continue to work with you when you are at college. Most states have specific licensing laws and this may limit the ability of therapists and dietitians to work with you when you are located in a different state. If you need to find new treatment team members, it is important to set this up ahead of time because many providers have waiting lists.

You may also consider finding a support group like the one we run at Eating Disorder Therapy LA specifically for college students in California.

Follow Your Meal Plan

If you have a meal plan, it’s important to continue to follow it. If you are not following a meal plan, continue to eat regularly. Remember that eating for recovery usually entails three meals and two to three snacks per day. Remember that regular eating is critical for maintaining eating disorder recovery and helps regulate mood.

Explore the Dining Options

If you have a meal plan, understand how it works ahead of time. Learn about the various dining facilities on campus and determine where you will eat to comply with your meal plan. If you won’t have all—or any—of your meals in the dining hall, plan ahead where you will eat or how you will procure your meals. Don’t just wing it.

Invest in Snacks

Regular eating is a cornerstone of eating disorder recovery. Therefore, it’s important to stock snacks in your dorm. Consider what snacks meet your meal plan. Try to eliminate any excuses to not eat regularly, and plan ahead for times you might need an extra snack to help fuel your brain for a late-night study session.

It’s best to stock up on snacks as soon as you arrive on campus so that they are readily at hand. It can also be helpful to have a variety of snacks that span the various micronutrient groups —fruit, vegetable, protein, starch —in case there’s a time where you struggle to make a complete meal in the dining hall. If you have ARFID, stock up on preferred foods you can use to supplement meals.

Find Positive Meal Companions

While you’re busy making new friends on campus, find people who will be a positive influence on your eating at mealtimes. Try to find people who eat adequately, aren’t actively dieting, and don’t make a big deal out of what you are eating. Having others to eat with who support your eating adequately can make a big difference.

Find Anti-Diet Community

Diet culture runs rampant on college campuses. A lot of bonding occurs through diet culture. Friends disparage their bodies, diet, and exercise together.

Try to find anti-diet community. Going against the grain is harder alone. If you can’t find people in your current circle who are standing up to diet culture, you might look online to find others with similar values or you might join a support group.

Watch your Movement Levels

Be aware that navigating even a relatively small college campus usually causes more movement than you engaged in in high school. You may need to deliberately walk less, or choose to ride campus transportation to conserve energy.  Alternatively, you may need to deliberately eat more to account for this increased energy expenditure.

Plan Ahead for Challenging Situations

You can improve your recovery and reduce the chances of a relapse by anticipating and preparing for potential challenges. Think ahead about past situations that have challenged you; develop a plan for upcoming situations that may pose similar challenges.  For example, if there’s a holiday and you will be staying on campus while the dining hall is closed, what is your plan for eating? Or, if you get Covid and cannot go to the dining hall, how will you ensure you get your meals?

Reach Out Early at Signs of Problems

Recovery is a nonlinear process and you will have ups and downs. Reaching out to your supports and treatment team at the first signs of problems can prevent more significant relapses. Please show yourself compassion and manage any shame that emerges if you struggle.

Have a Relapse Prevention Plan

It’s always a good idea to develop a relapse prevention plan. Our eating disorder relapse prevention worksheet can help you identify high-risk situations and strategies for managing them. It can help you keep information organized and maintain your recovery.

Help Available for College Students in California

We have eating disorder specialist therapists who can provide individual and/or family therapy for college students with eating disorders. We can help connect you to additional team members including dietitians and doctors. Complete our expedited contact form to get connected now.

You may also register for our Eating Disorder College Process Group.

For Parents of Future/Current College Students

• Learn Why We Recommend Six Months of Demonstrated Readiness Before College for those with eating disorders
• Assess whether your future college student with history of an eating disorder is ready for the college transition.
• Learn how to recognize whether your college student who has come home for the holidays may have an eating disorder.