Hello to the World Wide Web!
I want to dedicate this first post to explaining the purpose of this blog.
February 15th marks the one year anniversary to the beginning of my recovery. It is the day that changed the course of my entire life, and also shares a date with the best February holiday — Half-Off-Candy day!
One of the hardest parts of eating disorder recovery is being willing to put yourself out there, even if you may be criticized or experience failure. This is often associated with guilt and shame. In writing this blog, I aim to not only push back against my own shame, but also to help people who may be struggling with eating disorders by letting them know that struggling isn’t something to be ashamed of. Asking for help is nothing to be ashamed of. And choosing recovery doesn’t mean you’re choosing weakness. In fact, it is quite the opposite.
When I was starting my own recovery journey, I was really wanting to read or listen to the stories of people who had gone through the recovery process. While those stories are certainly out there, they’re usually more along the lines of a “you can do it!” feel-good vibe. This positivity felt fake and detached. I wanted to hear the nitty gritty. I wanted to hear the suffering. I wanted someone’s story who was willing to share about the agony they went through, and I wanted to hear how they made it to the other side.
This is that story. To anyone thinking about or going through recovery, hold on tight. It’s going to be one hell of a ride. I can promise you that the ride is absolutely worth it. If you don’t believe me, commit 100% and just try it. You can always choose to go back to your eating disorder later. However, as someone who has taken recovery seriously, I can never imagine wanting to go back.