"As a psychotherapist specializing in the treatment of eating disorders, I have watched collective anxiety ripple inward, landing not just in people's thoughts and emotions, but in their bodies and behaviors. When stress becomes chronic, when control feels elusive, and when fear saturates the social atmosphere, the risk of developing an eating disorder increases. For those already in recovery, including people who have been well for years or even decades, these same conditions can make recovery feel more fragile and relapse risk rise."
"Eating disorders often function as coping strategies. They offer a sense of control when life feels uncontrollable, structure when everything feels chaotic, and distraction from emotions that feel overwhelming or unsafe. During periods of collective unrest, people are exposed to constant reminders that the world is unpredictable. Social media intensifies comparison and fear. For many people, especially those with histories of anxiety, trauma, or perfectionism, the body becomes the place where control is exerted."
Collective anxiety and prolonged uncertainty increase risk for developing eating disorders and elevate relapse risk for people in recovery. Eating disorders can operate as coping mechanisms that provide control, structure, and distraction from overwhelming emotions. Chronic stress keeps the nervous system in a heightened state of threat, driving the body to seek control through food, movement, or weight. Media, news cycles, and social instability amplify feelings of unpredictability and comparison. Recovery can feel fragile even after years of stability, and relapse during unsafe times is a common, predictable response rather than a personal failure.
Read at Psychology Today
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