eating disorder help
Those of you who have known me for a little bit probably know that in the past, I struggled very much with an eating disorder. It's been a few years since I've had a bad relapse, but throughout my teenage years, I really struggled. I had anorexia nervosa, or ED-NOS (eating disorder not otherwise specified). It went kind of back and forth between the two, because sometimes I would not fit all the criteria for anorexia when it came to my weight or period, but I exhibited all the other symptoms of it.
It's more common than many of us realize, and regardless of what people think, it is not something that 14 year old girls make up for attention (not the real disease, anyway). It is also not always about control, although that is the stereotypical idea. For some people, such as myself, it starts out innocently. They go on a diet and lose a few pounds, get a few compliments, and then get so addicted to the compliments and the hunger that they can't stop. It then goes beyond just wanting to be thin, it's something deeper and the reasons and feelings vary from person to person.
It is a very, very frightening disease. Not just anorexia, but all eating disorders. Granted, anorexia is the most dangerous, I believe, statistically. Still, all eating disorders point to a mental problem, something that could cause severe damage to a person's health and even cause death in the form of a heart attack, suicide, and many other things. It's not only frightening because of this, but because of the person's determination to continue. Even when I was clinically underweight and barely ate an apple a day for over a month, I was determined to continue. I couldn't sleep, I couldn't eat, I couldn't laugh, I couldn't think clearly or carry on a decent conversation because my head was so fuzzy with numbers and exhaustion. I obsessed over cook books, books on eating disorders, websites with "tips", pro-ana sites (though I never considered myself "pro ana", it was just something to keep me from eating), tabloid magazines, everything. This lasted about 9-12 months straight when I lost most of my weight, and then off an on for a few years (I would "get better", then starve, and cycle like for awhile)
My dad was concerned, and even after awhile my mom was concerned as well (at first she considered it a phase, a normal teen obsession). I did not refuse therapy, but I believe that most people struggling with it do. I was relieved in a way, that people actually could see that I was hurting and they really wanted me to get better. I won't say that therapy really worked, because I only went a few times before I stopped (unrelated reasons). Still, it helped to know that so many people cared about me. I didn't want people to worry, so I started to eat and gain weight. It's still a struggle, but having a daughter has basically been my recovery tool. I can't say that I wouldn't have completely relapsed without her. I want to teach her proper body image, though, and having a mom who wrinkles her nose at her reflection, or refuses to eat, can't really help that.
Still, it seems to be getting worse and worse. More and more girls get sucked into that hell. So many suffer from bulimia nervosa, and I can think of at least 5 friends right now that I know did as well. These girls need help, but they also need to WANT help at some point or it will not work.
Avalon Centers is an eating disorder clinic in New York. If you check out their website by clicking the above link, you will see lots of information on how to recognize an eating disorder and how to refer someone to their clinic. It is not as easy as just giving the information to them, though. It must be handled with much love, patience, and tact. Still, it's a start. I do wish that I had been able to get some serious help for a long period of time, but I was one of the "lucky" ones who managed to gain weight and get support outside of the therapy circles. Still, I think I would have benefitted quicker from professional help, as would most eating disordered girls and boys.
I know this is a longer sponsored post than normal, and this is well over the "minimum word length", but it's a subject very close to my heart and I could write about it for a long, long time. I know many of you struggled and still struggle as well. Please get help. There is so, so much more to life than calories and numbers and weight. When I look back on my life, I want to see all that I have accomplished and all the joy that I had, not how much time I spent on the scale or how I sat in front of restaurant menus in a panic because there was no calorie information listed. It's a wasted life, that way.
This is a sponsored post
It's more common than many of us realize, and regardless of what people think, it is not something that 14 year old girls make up for attention (not the real disease, anyway). It is also not always about control, although that is the stereotypical idea. For some people, such as myself, it starts out innocently. They go on a diet and lose a few pounds, get a few compliments, and then get so addicted to the compliments and the hunger that they can't stop. It then goes beyond just wanting to be thin, it's something deeper and the reasons and feelings vary from person to person.
It is a very, very frightening disease. Not just anorexia, but all eating disorders. Granted, anorexia is the most dangerous, I believe, statistically. Still, all eating disorders point to a mental problem, something that could cause severe damage to a person's health and even cause death in the form of a heart attack, suicide, and many other things. It's not only frightening because of this, but because of the person's determination to continue. Even when I was clinically underweight and barely ate an apple a day for over a month, I was determined to continue. I couldn't sleep, I couldn't eat, I couldn't laugh, I couldn't think clearly or carry on a decent conversation because my head was so fuzzy with numbers and exhaustion. I obsessed over cook books, books on eating disorders, websites with "tips", pro-ana sites (though I never considered myself "pro ana", it was just something to keep me from eating), tabloid magazines, everything. This lasted about 9-12 months straight when I lost most of my weight, and then off an on for a few years (I would "get better", then starve, and cycle like for awhile)
My dad was concerned, and even after awhile my mom was concerned as well (at first she considered it a phase, a normal teen obsession). I did not refuse therapy, but I believe that most people struggling with it do. I was relieved in a way, that people actually could see that I was hurting and they really wanted me to get better. I won't say that therapy really worked, because I only went a few times before I stopped (unrelated reasons). Still, it helped to know that so many people cared about me. I didn't want people to worry, so I started to eat and gain weight. It's still a struggle, but having a daughter has basically been my recovery tool. I can't say that I wouldn't have completely relapsed without her. I want to teach her proper body image, though, and having a mom who wrinkles her nose at her reflection, or refuses to eat, can't really help that.
Still, it seems to be getting worse and worse. More and more girls get sucked into that hell. So many suffer from bulimia nervosa, and I can think of at least 5 friends right now that I know did as well. These girls need help, but they also need to WANT help at some point or it will not work.
Avalon Centers is an eating disorder clinic in New York. If you check out their website by clicking the above link, you will see lots of information on how to recognize an eating disorder and how to refer someone to their clinic. It is not as easy as just giving the information to them, though. It must be handled with much love, patience, and tact. Still, it's a start. I do wish that I had been able to get some serious help for a long period of time, but I was one of the "lucky" ones who managed to gain weight and get support outside of the therapy circles. Still, I think I would have benefitted quicker from professional help, as would most eating disordered girls and boys.
I know this is a longer sponsored post than normal, and this is well over the "minimum word length", but it's a subject very close to my heart and I could write about it for a long, long time. I know many of you struggled and still struggle as well. Please get help. There is so, so much more to life than calories and numbers and weight. When I look back on my life, I want to see all that I have accomplished and all the joy that I had, not how much time I spent on the scale or how I sat in front of restaurant menus in a panic because there was no calorie information listed. It's a wasted life, that way.
This is a sponsored post