--- title: "Eating Disorder Recovery: One Summer in Exchange for a Lifetime in the Sun" date: 2026-06-01 author: "Sam Houston" featured_image: "https://newcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/friends-camping-1.webp" categories: - name: "Support" url: "/blog/category/support.md" --- # Eating Disorder Recovery: One Summer in Exchange for a Lifetime in the Sun Anyone working in the field of eating disorder recovery can tell you that folks struggling with an eating disorder are often perceptive, hard-working, and highly motivated individuals. In academic settings, these qualities often make for dedicated, high-achieving students who take pride in their scholastic success and their identity as a “perfect” student. When we consider that many individuals with eating disorders *also* struggle with feelings of inadequacy or fears they’re inherently flawed or unworthy, it’s easy to understand how academic achievement, recognition and the accompanying feelings of success and capability can feel like critical counterbalances to negative self-image. However, if an eating disorder goes untreated, that success and achievement will likely have an expiration date. Malnourishment can lead to memory and attention difficulties or medical complications leading to hospitalization. I’ve heard from many college students who withdrew from classes because they couldn’t handle the thought of their body being seen by classmates as they walked into a crowded lecture hall. Middle and high school students struggling with behaviors may begin avoiding school to avoid the potential of bullying at the lunch table or the locker room, leading to poor attendance and the increased risk of “falling behind.” There are always reasons to delay or avoid treatment, and for many adolescents, young adults and their families, this fear of academically “falling behind” is a common one. From what I’ve seen, however, just pushing through and trying to make it to the end of the semester or school year rarely works and comes with its own risks; withdrawing mid-semester may risk increased feelings of failure, inadequacy, incapability, and hopelessness, all of which will make later recovery more difficult for the student and their loved ones. ![Teens doing fun activities as part of their eating disorder recovery at NewCircle](https://newcircle.com/wp-content/uploads/2025_08_22_New-Circle_2576-800x534.webp "1") Summertime is approaching, and with it, a natural break in the academic calendar that could be ideal for someone wanting to attempt recovery before the next school year starts. Unfortunately, summer also brings its own reasons to postpone treatment. Planned family vacations, cruises, and study abroad opportunities can all feel like valid reasons to delay, especially for well-meaning caregivers who don’t want to further stigmatize their loved one or cause them to miss out on one more important life experience when their eating disorder has forced them to miss so many. In the recovery field, we spend a lot of time talking about the need to make short-term sacrifices for long-term well-being. Whether it’s enduring the temporary discomfort of the refeeding process to create a new, sustainable relationship with food or missing a stay at the beach this year to ensure you have a lifetime full of beach days, long-term change requires sacrifice. **If you’re a parent, guardian, or loved one of a student struggling with an eating disorder and reading this, I encourage you to ask yourself:** “How long can my loved one continue meeting the ever-increasing demands of their eating disorder *and* succeed in a competitive academic environment that requires a nourished mind and body to do so? Will my loved one feel more shame at missing a planned summer vacation or having to withdraw from school mid-semester in the fall? Will my loved one be able to turn these behaviors around enough for them to fully engage and receive the most benefit from their education?” **If you are a student struggling with an eating disorder and reading this, think ahead to the coming summer and ask yourself:** “Is now the time to give recovery a chance? If I continue to delay treatment, how long can I endure this struggle and continue to meet the academic goals and expectations I have set for myself? What would be worse: to miss out on a bit of summer fun or leave school mid-semester for treatment or hospitalization in October?” **There may never be a perfect time to attend treatment, but maybe that means now is as good a time as any. [Call our admissions](https://newcircle.com/admissions/) department today and find out how NewCircle can help you heal.** **Author:** ![Sam Houston, LPC Lead Therapist at NewCircle](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%27150%27%20height%3D%27150%27%20viewBox%3D%270%200%20150%20150%27%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%27150%27%20height%3D%27150%27%20fill-opacity%3D%220%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E "2") ### [**G. Sam Houston, LPC**](https://newcircle.com/team/sam-houston/) ***Lead Therapist at NewCircle***