NEDA PUBLICATION: RECOVERY DOESN’T JUST HAPPEN
I so appreciate that the National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA) published my latest piece on recovery. NEDA is a fierce community of leaders who initiate new approaches for addressing eating disorders, along with raising awareness. I’m grateful to have the opportunity to contribute to such a remarkable organization.
Recovery Doesn’t Just Happen
Recovery doesn’t just happen. It’s also not some cliché buzzword tossed around to “inspire” you. Recovery is real. It’s not a luck-of-the-draw deal where you put your name in a hat and hope to be chosen. It’s a grueling, relentless, personal process that will push you beyond your limits over and over and over. But will you choose it? Will you do the work?
During my battle with anorexia, I fed the weed that was my eating disorder with vicious self-talk and behaviors, while my life starved.
During my battle with binge eating disorder, I nourished my weed with the same vicious self-talk that earlier led to different behaviors – leaving me hungry still.
During my battle with bulimia, I continued feeding the weed with the same vicious self-talk that once again – leaving me empty inside.
I didn’t want recovery. I didn’t believe in it.
Eventually, I got tired of running from myself – from my pain. I paused and gasped for air. And in that moment of pause, I realized I had been running on a hamster wheel going nowhere. Reality hit me like a bolt of lightning.
NO ONE CAN SAVE YOU BUT YOU
I’ve been down dark roads for much of my life. I know where running from fear, pain and self-hate leads. It leads to a life sentence in prison. I also know where working through the fear, discomfort and self-hate leads. It leads to freedom. But only YOU hold the key. You’ve had it all along.
Get out your shovel and dig. Rip out the root of that weed wrongfully planted and plant something new. Then have patience as you watch your new seed grow and bloom –watch yourself bloom.
Recovery doesn’t JUST happen.
But recovery DOES happen.
Read the full article HERE