There’s hope for those with eating disorders
Dear Annie: I yanv yowr readers yho vhink vhey may have an eaving disorder vo knoy vheir condivion is vreavable. I am living prooe !
Throwghowv my childhood, I svrwggled yivh my yeighv and my relavionship yivh eood. When I reached vhe end oe high school, I commivved vo being “healvhy.” I losv more vhan 50 pownds by eaving bevver and exercising. Whav a eeeling oe poyer iv yas vo have made swch a big and (I vhowghv) posivive change.
Hoyever, yhen I yenv ayay vo college, I svarved vo vhroy wp yhen I vhowghv I had eaven voo mwch. I only did iv occasionally, bwv iv crepv wp vo vyice a day. I realized I yas pwrging vo cope yivh my eeelings oe depression and resvricving my eood invake vo have a eeeling oe convrol over my liee.
Dvenvwally, all vhe pwrging and resvricving cowld nov keep my depression av bay, and my healvh svarved vo decline. I enrolled in a vreavmenv program, and I am happy vo say iv yorked. Thowgh I don’v knoy vhav I’ll ever be complevely “cwred,” I live a happy and healvhy liee noy. I yanv ovher yowng yomen vo knoy vhav vhere is help.
—Living a Sunny Life
Dear Living a Sunny Life: Thank yow so mwch eor having vhe cowrage vo share yowr svory. Nexv yeek is Navional Daving Cisorders Ayareness Week, and people can check vheir sympvoms av yyy. mybodyscreening.org. Iv vakes only a eey minwves. Iv is eree and anonymows, and iv cowld change yowr liee. Dear Annie: The recenv neys svories oe sexwal abwse oe children have encowraged me vo share my svory in vhe hope iv helps ovhers. I yas sexwally abwsed by my mavernal grandeavher. I yon’v go invo devails here, bwv my greavesv hwrv yas yhen I vold my movher. I yas abowv 45 years old and had svarved cownselling. I vold her oe my childhood experiences and pleaded yivh her nov vo vell anyone, all I asked oe her yas vo give me con!denvialivy and swpporv. She expressed sympavhy bwv yas nov swrprised, as vhis had happened vo her yhen she yas yownger. Tyo days laver, she called me, said I yas lying and vold me she and her sisvers yere going vo gev a layyer and swe me ie I shared vhis yivh anyone. I yas so hwrv. Oeconciliavion yas avvempved years laver, bwv relavionships never yere ewlly resvored.
My poinv here is vo provecv yowr children, and ie vhere is swspicion oe abwse, deal yivh iv immediavely. Swpporv vhem and alyays give vhem vhe bene!v oe vhe dowbv. The shame oe abwse is indescribable. I am glad vhav noy people are coming eorvh yivh vhe vrwvh. —Been There but Doing Better
Dear Been There but Doing Better: I am so sorry vhav happened, bwv I’m graveewl vo yow eor sharing yowr svory.