If you are reading this and you are struggling with an eating disorder right now, I want you to know two things before anything else: first, this is not your fault. Second, recovery is real, and most women who get the right help do recover. Research consistently shows that with early, evidence-based treatment, many sisters fully recover and never relapse.
Please do not try to recover alone. Eating disorders are serious mental health conditions that need professional support. This article is for understanding — it is not a substitute for treatment.
What Evidence-Based Treatment Looks Like
The NICE guidelines (one of the world's most respected medical bodies) and the American Psychiatric Association recommend different approaches depending on the type of eating disorder:
For anorexia nervosa:
For adults: individual eating-disorder-focused cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT-ED), or Maudsley Anorexia Nervosa Treatment for Adults (MANTRA), or Specialist Supportive Clinical Management (SSCM)
For children and adolescents: family-based therapy (FBT) — where the family is part of the treatment, especially the meals
In severe cases, hospitalisation may be necessary for medical stabilisation before therapy can begin
For bulimia nervosa:
For adults: guided self-help programmes using CBT principles, followed by individual CBT-ED if needed
For children and adolescents: family-based therapy adapted for bulimia
For binge eating disorder:
Guided self-help programmes are the first-line treatment
If needed, individual or group CBT-ED
Medication is NOT the primary treatment for eating disorders. NICE guidelines are clear that medication should not be offered as the sole treatment for any eating disorder. Some medications can help with co-occurring depression or anxiety, but the eating disorder itself needs therapy and, where needed, nutritional rehabilitation.
What Healing Actually Involves
Recovery is not just about food. The research is clear that real recovery involves:
Medical stabilisation — restoring physical health, sometimes in stages
Nutritional rehabilitation — working with a qualified dietitian who specialises in eating disorders, in coordination with therapy
Therapy — addressing the thoughts, feelings, and beliefs underneath the disorder
Family or relationship support — eating disorders affect (and are affected by) the people around us
Time — research shows that adequate treatment usually takes many months to several years, not weeks
It is slow. It is not linear. There are setbacks. None of this means recovery is not happening. Many sisters describe recovery as a thousand small choices over a long time, not one big moment.
Where to Get Help
If you suspect you or someone you love has an eating disorder, please reach out to:
A doctor (GP) — they can assess physical health and refer to specialist services
A qualified mental health professional specialising in eating disorders
National Alliance for Eating Disorders Helpline (USA): 1-866-662-1235 — provides referrals to specialist services
Beat Eating Disorders (UK): 0808 801 0677
Your country's national eating disorder organisation
If someone is in immediate physical danger, please go to a hospital emergency department.
Where Tawakkul Lives in This
For us as Muslim sisters, the relationship between healing and faith in eating disorders deserves special care. Eating disorders are not about religious devotion. Fasting beyond what your body can safely handle is not piety — Islam itself prohibits harming the body. The Prophet ﷺ taught that the body has rights over us.
Seeking treatment, eating regularly, going to therapy, accepting help — none of this contradicts faith. All of it is part of the trust we have been given to care for ourselves.
Allah says: "And do not throw yourselves into destruction with your own hands" (Quran 2:195). Caring for your body, even when your mind is telling you not to, is a form of obedience to your Creator.
May Allah grant healing, gentleness, and full recovery to every sister who is struggling. Your life is precious. Your body is an amaanah. And there is real help available, bidhnillah. Please reach for it.
Sources & Further Reading
Treasure J, Duarte TA, Schmidt U. "Eating disorders." The Lancet, 395(10227):899–911, 2020.
Eddy KT, et al. "Recovery from anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa at 22-year follow-up." Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 78(2):184–189, 2017.
NICE. Eating disorders: recognition and treatment. NICE Guideline NG69. 2017.
American Psychiatric Association. Practice Guideline for the Treatment of Patients with Eating Disorders, 4th edition. 2023.
Hilbert A, et al. "Long-term efficacy of psychological treatments for binge eating disorder." British Journal of Psychiatry, 200(3):232–237, 2012.
National Alliance for Eating Disorders.
Academy for Eating Disorders. Nine Truths About Eating Disorders.