February is Eating Disorders Awareness Month. As someone who is recovering from both anorexia and bulimia, I feel that I have to give something back. During my recovery, I had been (and still am) educated about the disease, supported, taken care of and encouraged to keep on going even when recovery might seem impossible. I always keep in mind that there are sufferers out there who unfortunately are misunderstood or their relatives might not be fully supporting them or worst of all they do not have enough money to pay the therapy costings. So with the knowledge I have gathered throughout these years and my own experience, I seek to be of (a little bit of) help.
Eating disorders are more common than one may think. They are amongst the deadliest of psychiatric disorders. A lot of sufferers experience bouts of depression and some end up attempting suicide and many of them succeed in doing so. The way media portrays eating disorders, leads people to create misleading perceptions about the disease.
Eating disorders are more common than one may think. They are amongst the deadliest of psychiatric disorders. A lot of sufferers experience bouts of depression and some end up attempting suicide and many of them succeed in doing so. The way media portrays eating disorders, leads people to create misleading perceptions about the disease.
Actress and singer Demi Lovato used to suffer from bulimia, binge drinking and drug abuse. During her worst of days she used to cut herself. These are the scars of her injuries. In place of the scars, today she portrays two motivational tattoos.
During my anorexic days, some people used to approach my mum and ask her whether if I had been receiving treatment for a particular illness instead of asking whether if they can be of help! She used to be so devastated and sad which in turn made the situation worse for me as I used to feel so guilty for what was happening and thus my behaviours would get worse.
Empathy. Yes, some people lack this characteristic. The ability to recognize and share feelings that are experienced by the sufferer is a bit lacking in our society. Having an ED is not a voluntary choice. Sufferers mask a triggering situation by an eating disorder. I did not know that I was suffering from an eating disorder until I ended up waiting for my turn in the emergency room. I barely knew what an ED was, let alone suffering from one and beleive me, if I had a choice I would not have chosen anorexia or bulimia over life. My behaviours were a response to a deeper issue and now through cognitive behavioural therapy, I am learning how to handle this issue thus my ED habits are diminishing.
Empathy. Yes, some people lack this characteristic. The ability to recognize and share feelings that are experienced by the sufferer is a bit lacking in our society. Having an ED is not a voluntary choice. Sufferers mask a triggering situation by an eating disorder. I did not know that I was suffering from an eating disorder until I ended up waiting for my turn in the emergency room. I barely knew what an ED was, let alone suffering from one and beleive me, if I had a choice I would not have chosen anorexia or bulimia over life. My behaviours were a response to a deeper issue and now through cognitive behavioural therapy, I am learning how to handle this issue thus my ED habits are diminishing.
So, during this month make a tiny bit of effort to offer some of your time to LISTEN to others who are going through a tough time. They do not have to be going through an eating disorder issue, even if their cat has just lost its battle with life, just listen. If you have two seconds out of your time to listen to someone who seeks a shoulder to cry on, you would have made a whole lot of difference.
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PS. If you have not checked these two articles about eating disorders, make sure you click on the following links:http://echoesoffreedom.weebly.com/1/post/2014/01/what-is-an-eating-disorder.html and http://echoesoffreedom.weebly.com/1/post/2014/01/living-with-an-eating-disorder.html
Also, if you have a second to spare, please like my FB page for the latest blog updates! https://www.facebook.com/echoesoffreedomblog
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PS. If you have not checked these two articles about eating disorders, make sure you click on the following links:http://echoesoffreedom.weebly.com/1/post/2014/01/what-is-an-eating-disorder.html and http://echoesoffreedom.weebly.com/1/post/2014/01/living-with-an-eating-disorder.html
Also, if you have a second to spare, please like my FB page for the latest blog updates! https://www.facebook.com/echoesoffreedomblog