The hidden benefits of restriction….and why they matter.
Understanding why restriction works is often more useful than repeatedly being told why it doesn’t.
Most people who restrict their eating already know the costs. They know they’re tired. They know food occupies more mental space than they would like. They know social situations can feel more complicated. They know their world has become smaller.
What many people haven’t been helped to understand is why restriction keeps pulling them back. Because restriction usually does work,….at least at first.
By benefits, I don’t mean that restriction is harmless. I mean that it often serves an important psychological function, which is exactly why it can be so difficult to let go of, despite telling yourself countless times, tomorrow will be different.
Restriction can create a sense of certainty when life feels unpredictable. It can provide structure when everything feels overwhelming. It can offer a temporary sense of achievement, control, numbness or relief.
If we only focus on the costs of restriction, we miss the opportunity to ask a different question:
What problem is restriction solving right now?
In my years of clinical experience, the answer is rarely nothing.
For many of the clients I work with, restriction helps reduce emotional overwhelm. It creates a sense of order or quietens difficult feelings. For some, it provides a focus that feels easier to manage than the uncertainty, grief, anxiety, pain or self-doubt sitting underneath.
The problem isn’t that restriction never works. The problem is that it often works so effectively in the short term that it becomes difficult to notice the longer-term costs.
Over time, restriction can also create biological and psychological changes that make the cycle harder to break. What may begin as a way of coping can gradually become something that maintains itself and causes us to feel stuck.
Rather than asking, “Why can’t I stop restricting?” it can sometimes be more helpful to ask: What is restriction helping me feel, avoid, manage or control right now?
This question is not about justifying the behaviour. It is about understanding it. And understanding creates options.
Getting curious about the urge
A practice I often teach my clients is to become curious about the urge to restrict.
The next time you notice that urge, see if you can pause before acting on it.
Without trying to change anything, ask yourself:
What is happening in my body right now?
Am I noticing any sensations, tension, discomfort, heat or restlessness?
Is there an emotion present?
What feels difficult, uncertain, overwhelming or noisy today?
If restriction could speak, what might it be trying to do for me?
You may notice things like::
I want things to feel more organised.
I need some certainty.
I feel overwhelmed.
I feel out of control.
I need something I can succeed at.
There is no right answer. And importantly, the goal is not to talk yourself out of the urge. The goal is to understand what the urge is trying to accomplish.
When we understand what that something is, we create the possibility of finding other ways to meet the same need.
Recovery doesn’t begin with forcing yourself to stop restricting. Often, it begins with understanding why restriction was needed in the first place.
Online Somatic Eating Disorder Support (UK)
I offer online eating disorder support for adults across the UK and internationally. My approach integrates nervous system work, somatic awareness and nutrition support to help you move from survival to steadiness.
If you’re curious about working together, you can book a discovery call here.