The Hidden Link Between High Achievers and Eating Disorders
You might be someone who has always pushed themselves, incredibly driven, disciplined, and highly capable.
You set high standards and meet them, often without anyone asking. You keep going when things feel hard. You’re focused, reliable, and often the one others count on.
For a long time, these qualities may have been noticed and praised.
And that likely felt good. Over time, those traits may have become tied to who you are, bringing a sense of safety or approval, and shaping how you measure your worth.
So when life begins to feel overwhelming or out of your control, it’s understandable that you might lean more heavily on these parts of yourself.
For many people, that’s where food comes in.
How High Achieving Traits Become Entangled With Food
Food can quietly become the place where those standards get applied.
It’s tangible and measurable, something you can work on and improve. So when other areas of life feel out of your control, food can begin to offer clear rules and a sense of direction.
There can be reassurance in following those rules or doing it “right”, a sense of control or containment, of knowing what’s expected of you.
Over time, though, that sense of control can begin to narrow. The rules tighten, and what once felt supportive starts to take up more space and energy than you ever intended.
Much of this comes down to regulation, to soothing yourself in the way you know how. When things feel uncomfortable or hard to manage, control can quiet that discomfort for a while, even if it doesn’t last.
Recovery Isn’t About Losing These Parts of You
The truth is that being a high achiever can make someone more vulnerable to developing an eating disorder. But that doesn’t mean these traits are bad or need to be changed.
In fact, the same qualities that make you a high achiever are often some of your greatest strengths.
Recovery isn’t about getting rid of your drive, commitment, or work ethic. It’s about redirecting them.
You don’t need to lose your ambition or your ability to care deeply and work hard. You just need to look at where that energy is being directed, and gently shift it towards something that supports you rather than harms you.
That might look like:
- using your commitment to build consistency with nourishment
- using your determination to stay with recovery when it feels uncomfortable
- using your ambition to build a future that isn’t shaped by food rules or self-punishment
You can still aim high.
You can still care deeply.
And you can still succeed.
Your body does not have to be the cost.
If This Felt Familiar
If this resonated, you’re not alone. And it doesn’t mean anything has gone wrong with you.
It means the parts of you that learned how to strive, achieve, and stay in control were drawn into something that once felt like it helped.
Recovery is about bringing those strengths back to you in a way that supports your health, your life, and the future you’re working so hard towards.
If navigating this feels difficult to do on your own, support can make a difference. You don’t have to figure it out perfectly or all at once.
When it feels right, you’re very welcome to reach out. We’re here to listen and to gently help you work out what the next step might be for you.
