Mom Speaks: Her Thoughts on My Eating Disorder Journey
I know parents have reached out to me expressing that they want to understand more about their son or daughter’s eating disorder. I wanted to give some insight into my situation from my mom’s perspective, here: The Perfect Storm Rachael strove to be perfect. Every assignment or workout or practice was completed on time or […]
To Let Running Go
There was a point in my life when I–and I’m sure many of us–experienced that heavy walk through each day. We could not find the energy to speak to our friends and family. We lost ourselves so deeply that we felt defined only by what we accomplished or how we ate. Running was my protector. […]
Discipline, Drugs, and Disorder
I was recently challenged with the notion that eating disorders are not as intense or similar to drug addiction or alcoholism. I’ve also been asked if eating disorders are more of a “discipline” rather than a “disorder” issue. And then we have misconceptions about what eating disorders “look” like: only when are you very thin […]
A Lot Can Change in Two Years
I began this blog in fear. I didn’t know who I was or where I was going, but two years ago I needed this blog to make me feel like I was getting something done. It was my last hope for change. I feared what my friends, teammates, and family would think. I worried they […]
What Are You So Afraid of?
I’ve been asked this question a lot lately, or at least questions similar to it: What is my fear, how do I handle it, and why am I so afraid? I feel like fears need examination in order to face and deal with them. Half the battle is knowing what you are dealing with–and for […]
I Have an Eating Disorder
I started this blog to talk about my struggle with an eating disorder, but it has taken me so long to come to terms with that diagnosis. I still worry that an eating disorder is not really what I deal with (“it’s not that bad,” I tell myself). Because that would leave me with this […]
Guest Post: Brittany Burgunder’s Battle
I came across Brittany’s blog about a year ago and found her eating disorder struggle similar to my own. Certainly, Brittany’s drastic weight fluctuation in a small amount of time is relatable to me as well as many more of us, and shows that the problem lies not in appearance, but in our attitude toward […]
We Must Speak
I want to tell you that it is okay to ask for help. That even now I still struggle to do it myself. That just the other day, when I finally admitted to myself that the eating disorder was worsening again, that it was okay to say something. That I must. I want to tell you […]
A Father of Food: My Dad Dealing with the Eating Disorder
My dad loves food–it has been his love language to prepare and serve our family food ever since I was born. He has always encouraged my sister and I to try new foods, to enjoy meals with the family, and to embrace food from different cultures. So when I started a raw food diet, my dad didn’t […]
Relationship With My Mom: Discussing Eating Disorder Triggers
Before I told my mom about my eating disorder, any comments she made about my food or hers felt like a knife slicing through my chest. The eating disorder twisted her words to make them sound like a jab at me. The comments could be about how much I ate, what kind of food I […]