Essay I just wrote.

[an_revival]

Not sure if this might trigger others, feel free to put a trigger warnning if you see fit.


"Today is an amazing day; you have to just keep telling yourself that when the fight for freedom from your eating disorder keeps attempting to pull you down.”

That quote above, is so true for many people struggling with an Eating Disorder or other issues related to Eating Disorders. Most feel so alone and isolated that they don’t see a way out—a way out of the downward spiral that they call their lives.

The truth, it isn’t your life, not at all. Who wants to live day after day in pain and feeling depressed? That is what most people with eating disorders feel each and every day they struggle alone in silence, and it saddens me, because no-one deserves to be in that type of pain or feel depressed every day that they are alive.

And guess what? You don’t have to feel that way anymore. Whether it be religion, medical or psychological treatment, there is hope for everyone struggling. I’ve had all the above treatments, and they have worked in helping me realize that I can overcome this, and that I DO NOT have to do this alone.

You can overcome this as well, but YOU and YOU alone have to want to get better; no one can “force” you to get better, but yourself. Ask yourself, “Is this worth missing out on life, friends, and family? Do I really want to spend most of my life withdrawn away from the people I care about? What is so positive about what I’m doing? I know people care about me, but is having this Eating Disorder more important?”

If no is your answer to all these questions, then take the first step of getting help? Talk to someone, anyone who you care about and who cares about you. The people around you want nothing but the best for you and having an Eating Disorder is definitely not the best for anyone.

I know the hardest thing about wanting to recover is asking for help. Try and practice in the middle of your room, and try and picture that person beside you. How would you go about expressing the fact that you need help? If talking verbally isn’t for you, try to write a letter expressing your situation put it in a safe place where you know that person will find it such as under their pillow or by the front door.

If you end up going into a hospital program, do not be afraid. The movies don’t always get the environment or the treatment of the patient’s right. You aren’t restrained when you first enter the doors. The only way you will be restrained is if you pose a threat to yourself or act out in violence. You aren’t immediately put on a feeding tube unless you are dangerously under weight, or have medical complications, and even then you are usually taken off the tube when you gain the weight that you need back to not be labeled medically endangered, or when you are able to eat on your own.

Most of the other patients are there for the same thing as you, so you are bound to find people who can relate to you weather they have Anorexia, Bulimia, or other eating disorders. The doctors, nurses, social workers, or psych techs aren’t mean or anything like some movies portray them to be (one flew over the cooco’s nest) They might even truly know where you are coming from, as in they might have struggled with Eating Disorders themselves before becoming able to help others.

This is true at one place, Selah House, where most the staff have recovered or over came eating disorders in their past. They offer a great program for girls and women in Indiana who are struggling to break free from the bondage of their Eating Disorders. Another place is Remuda Ranch, located in Virginia and Arizona. They offer Christian and equine therapy in the treatment in eating disorders. I’m not quite sure if the staff has experienced eating disorders, but their programs are one of the top treatments for Eating Disorders. The third place I know of is Vision of Hope. They are also located in Indiana, and they offer a Christian prospective on treating Eating Disorders, and other issues plaguing young girls.

I hope this essay can be of some help to someone struggling out there. If you want to get in touch with me, or the places mentioned in this essay, you can Google search for their websites. And to contact me personally, feel free to contact me either by private message or email me at hopeforhealingstaff@gmail.com
Thank you for reading.

[crmzchan]

That is so touching. You obviously really care. I've never had an eating disorder, but hopefully reply this will put this thread to the top of the group so everyone will see it who needs it

[an_revival]

thank you so much. I'm glad you never had to go through with this.

[Imagine]

This is great, <3

[~CourageousSurvivor~]

I liked this a lot. Have you gone or known anyone who went to those programs you mentioned? What did you write this for? A class or what? You might have already said but my memory sucks at the moment

[an_revival]

Yes, i do know someone who went to Vision of Hope, and I just wrote it because I felt that people needed to know about these other places. I also posted this on my blog, and if you PM me I'll give you the link.