⁃ What is one thing you wish you could go back and say to yourself when you were at your lowest?
I wish I could tell myself that things would get better and I shouldn’t feel guilty about something I can’t change without outside help. And I wish I could tell myself that admitting you need help isn’t embarrassing and that it can really help you once you come to a point where you’re ready for that help.
⁃ What is one thing you are still struggling with
I’m still struggling with the other mental health issues anorexia brought me and the overwhelming feeling of guilt which has been the biggest thing I’ve tried to overcome during recovery.
⁃ Who was your biggest support system through your eating disorder recovery?
My best friend. He and I went through recovery together for awhile and we would just make the most out of it and he was always there for me if I ever needed. It was really important to me to have a connection to someone who understood what I was going through mentally.
⁃ Can you describe some self-care habits that help you cope?
One of my favorite self-care habits is just taking a well deserved mental health day. During the beginning of my recovery I took a lot of mental health days to give myself healing time, and time to truly just relax instead of working on homework or other miscellaneous things.
⁃ What is your favorite part of your life that you got back in recovery?
My favorite part of my life I’ve gotten back in recovery is being able to go out and have fun with my friends. So often I let my ed control my life which carried over into not wanting to be social or be around people or things that were triggering at the time. And now through recovery I’ve been able to go out and not feel like something was holding me back.
⁃ Who keeps you inspired in recovery?
My friends, they were there through the roughest times and I really want them to be there through all the good ones. They keep me motivated which is something I appreciate greatly.
⁃ What signs should people look for in a loved one who may be struggling with anorexia?
A big sign is being really tired, avoiding places where they might have to eat or be around food, and a sign a lot of people saw in me was I gained a hyper fixation on food and cooking and watching other people cook and eat.
⁃ How can we talk about anorexia without triggering others?
While I believe we should be considerate of others and their triggers it’s hard to even begin a discussion by being super censored. I don’t think we can have a conversation about anorexia or any other hard topic without being triggering to at least one person, and that can be really difficult but I don’t think there’s many ways to change that.