When people think about anorexia, they often picture its most acute stages: rapid weight loss, medical crises, and intense control over food. But one of the most misunderstood and overlooked parts of the recovery journey isn’t the crisis phase; it’s the space after it. It’s the in-between. The place where recovery has begun, but the individual hasn’t yet fully recovered. A place where they’re moving further away from their eating disorder, but the disorder is still trying to pull them back. A phase that can look like progress from the outside, but feels like chaos on the inside.
This is what clinicians often refer to as ‘quasi-recovery’: a state where physical signs might suggest improvement, but the psychological grip of the illness remains strong.
What Does Quasi-Recovery Mean?
The word quasi means “seemingly” or “partially,” and that’s exactly what makes this stage so difficult.
From the outside, someone may appear to be doing better. Their weight might be restored, meals look more regular, and they may even be back at school or work. But on the inside, they are still very much in the fight.
In the depths of anorexia, as destructive as it is, many describe a strange psychological ease. That’s because there’s only one voice – the eating disorder voice – and it’s in full control. The rules are clear, the purpose is fixed, and there’s no internal pushback. It feels familiar, predictable, even comforting, in a warped way.
But quasi-recovery is when another voice starts to emerge – the voice of recovery. And now the eating disorder has something to fight against. So it gets louder. More critical. More desperate.
Suddenly, every decision is up for debate. “Is this too much food?” “Should I move more?” “Is this real hunger or emotional hunger?” Every bite becomes a battleground. Clients often describe this phase as the most mentally exhausting part of recovery, not because they’re doing nothing, but because they’re doing everything, all while navigating enormous internal conflict.
Why Is Quasi-Recovery So Hard?
In this phase, people often:
- Feel as thought they are no longer “sick enough” to be seen as unwell
- May have weight restored, but don’t yet feel truly free from their eating disorder
- Have a desire to let go of and hold onto their eating disorder at the same time
- Worry about what they will be left if they no longer have their eating disorder
- Struggle to cope with challenging situations without the support of an eating disorder
The push and pull between wanting to recover and still feeling like an eating disorder is the only way to cope is is exhausting. There is no longer the warped comfort of the eating disorder’s strict rules, but the freedom of recovery still feels unsafe, overwhelming, or unfamiliar. Many people describe this stage as living in a tug of war, but being on both sides of the rope at once.
To the outside world, individuals may seem “better”. But whilst they may be doing physically better, the constant bombardment of messages from their eating disorder can be overwhelming. This is where I see clients most at risk of giving up – but that doesn’t mean that they should.
Unpicking Eating Disorder Behaviours
One of the major obstacles in quasi-recovery is how certain behaviours remain hidden in plain sight, not because they are harmless, but because they are socially accepted or even encouraged. This could include behaviours such as:
- Excessive exercise
- Avoiding particular foods out of fear
- Only eating within rigid time frames
- Labelling foods as “good” and “bad”
- Exercising to “make up” for food
These behaviours can be difficult to break out of, as they are often praised as “healthy” or “disciplined” by society. Compared to the more extreme behaviours that may have marked the depths of the illness, these habits can seem benign or even beneficial, which makes them far easier to overlook or rationalise.
But these are the very behaviours that keep individuals stuck. They maintain the eating disorder’s grip in subtle but powerful ways. Moving toward full recovery means gently and honestly challenging these patterns. It’s often the most difficult part, because it asks us to swim against both internal fears and cultural currents. But being radically honest about these behaviours is essential if we want to move beyond surviving and into truly living.
What Helps in Quasi-Recovery?
When clients are in this in-between space, I focus on:
- Naming it – Saying, “This is quasi-recovery. You’re not broken. You’re in the hardest part.” Naming it reduces shame and acknowledges the position you are in.
- Normalising ambivalence – You can want to recover and still miss the eating disorder. That’s not a contradiction – it’s human. It’s been your only way of coping for so long, and you need to find other ways to survive in order to live without it.
- Building self-trust – In the early stages of recovery, we may need our loved ones to take over activities relating to food. If we slowly hand back decisions around food, rest, movement, and body care in safe and structured ways, we can learn to trust ourselves and believe we can survive without an eating disorder.
- Reclaiming identity – Beginning to explore who you are outside of food, weight, and perfectionism. I see clients getting back into creativity, learning a new skills, and starting to ‘re-find’ themselves and enjoy life with loved ones.
- Be honest – The reality is that only you know the impact these behaviours are having on your recovery journey. In the future, you may be able to engage in excercise, miss a snack and eat more flexibily, but right now in recovery you have to be truthful about your actions and what you are trying to achieve.
A Final Word on Quasi-Recovery
If you’re in this phase, or supporting someone who is, know this:
You’re not alone, you’re not doing recovery wrong. Instead, you’re in the thick of recovery, and that means you’re doing the work.
Quasi-recovery isn’t failure.
It’s a fragile, painful, and deeply important part of the journey.
It’s a fragile, painful, and deeply important part of the journey.
And even if it feels shaky, every step forward counts.
If you or someone you know is feeling stuck in quasi-recovery, please get in touch with Altum Health to find out how we can support you. You can book a free, 20-minute consultation here.
Take care,
Dr Courtney
Altum Health
Dr Courtney
Altum Health
