How to Recognize Early Signs of an Eating Disorder Relapse
The winter months can carry a quiet kind of heaviness, especially for those in recovery from an eating disorder. With holiday stress, less daylight, and a change in routine, it’s not always easy to catch when something starts to slide. Even if we’ve been working with an eating disorder therapist and feel steady, early signs of a relapse can still sneak up. They tend to show up in small ways at first.
If you’ve been doing the work to feel more connected to yourself and your body, noticing those early signs doesn’t mean you’ve gone backward. It just means you’re paying attention. And that awareness is a powerful step. Relapse isn’t about failure. It’s often just your body and nervous system asking for support in moments that feel too familiar or too loud.
When Old Thoughts Start to Get Loud Again
Some warning signs don’t look like behavior. They sound like thoughts. You might notice certain food rules creeping back in or old beliefs around weight and control resurfacing.
• You’re suddenly tracking what you’re eating or feeling pressure to earn meals again.
• There's a lot of inner chatter about appearance, guilt around food, or urges to “balance out” meals after holiday gatherings.
• Harsh or critical self-talk starts to replace the more compassionate voice you worked so hard to build.
Here in Salt Lake County, social events and family meals around December can trigger old habits without us realizing it. Eating in front of others might feel extra tense again. Going to multiple gatherings might increase feelings of comparison or anxiety. These rising thoughts can feel isolating, especially when everything around you seems joyful.
Changes in Behavior You Might Not Catch Right Away
Other early signs can look like subtle behavior shifts. They might not seem alarming at first because they’re often disguised as “just being busy” or “needing structure” during an overwhelming season.
• Skipping snacks, eating less than usual, or being more selective around food choices.
• Checking mirrors more frequently or avoiding them altogether.
• Exercising longer or harder, especially in response to meals or feelings of guilt.
Around this time of year, these behaviors are often encouraged by the culture around “holiday weight” talk or “New Year reset” messages. That can make it hard to tell when someone is actually slipping into old patterns. If movement feels less about feeling good and more about fixing something, it may be time to pause. These patterns often go unnoticed because they blend into what everyone else seems to be doing.
Emotional Flags That Aren’t Just About Food
Relapse signs don’t only show up in food choices or habits. Emotions often start shifting first. If you’ve felt more disconnected from your body, more irritable, or more ashamed without a clear reason, that might be part of it.
• Feeling numb, anxious, or like you’re floating through your days without much presence.
• Pulling back from support systems or avoiding conversations around food and body image.
• Starting to hide eating habits or feeling a need to explain or justify them.
These emotional cues matter. Reaching out to an eating disorder therapist can help put words to what’s happening on the inside before it becomes harder to untangle. Emotional avoidance is one of the most common early signs, and it doesn’t always look dramatic. It can be quiet. It can look like functioning just fine while feeling disconnected, edgy, or ashamed under the surface.
Why Winter Can Stir Up Old Patterns
Colder seasons often come with more time indoors, tighter clothing, fewer social outlets, and less light. All of this can affect mood, schedule, and body image.
• Shorter days can increase feelings of isolation and contribute to seasonal sadness or lack of energy.
• Holiday outfits or layering up can bring renewed discomfort about appearance.
• Family pressure or traditions in places like Salt Lake County might push certain food expectations or body talk norms.
Routines that keep us feeling steady throughout the year often get interrupted between December and January. Gym schedules change. Meals become unpredictable. The holidays might bring reunions with people who trigger old wounds or commentary about appearance. Winter doesn’t cause relapse by itself, but it can create the perfect mix of stress, discomfort, and disconnection that makes it easier for old habits to show up.
Moving Toward Stability Without Shame
No one is immune from having hard weeks. Noticing a few red flags doesn’t instantly mean you’re headed for a full relapse. It just means something might need care, curiosity, or support. Sometimes the patterns we thought we left behind come back in quieter ways, especially when we’re moving through harder seasons.
Modern Eve Therapy, with offices in Utah and Arizona, provides trauma-informed eating disorder counseling to help individuals address not just the behavioral symptoms but the underlying causes as well. The therapy at Modern Eve is intentionally non-traditional and addresses how diet culture, oppression, and shame can become embedded in everyday life.
The good news is that early awareness creates space for choice. You don’t have to pretend these signs aren’t happening. And you don’t have to go through them alone. Working with an eating disorder therapist isn’t about starting over, it’s continuing the work at a new point along the way.
Noticing old habits resurfacing or feeling uneasy in your relationship with food and your body is more common than you might think. You don’t need to wait for things to get worse to receive support. Working with an eating disorder therapist can help you process what’s coming up and reconnect with the steady foundation you’ve built. At Modern Eve, we understand that winter in Salt Lake County can add extra pressure, and we are here to support you without shame. You deserve care that meets you where you are, so reach out whenever you feel ready to check in or start fresh this season.