Health is Wealth

I am beyond blessed to be living today and to be able to celebrate what makes today special - it is my 21st birthday! I have so many mixed feelings about this day. Part of me does not even have time to celebrate because of all the work I have to do. Part of me does not want to think that I am already 21. Last year was a great birthday as well. But for the seven years before that, each birthday was clouded by ED. I could never have fun, enjoy my day, or even have a reason to live. For seven years, I suffered this way. But last year was different. Last year, I was recovering . This year is different, too. This year, I am FULLY recovered . And I can feel the difference. There is no place for ED in my life anymore. Yes, there are still things that I am working on. For example, I still do not get hunger cues, and I still need to eat by the clock. I still get slightly uncomfortable if I feel too full after a meal. But, I am so much stronger now. If gaining weight makes me feel uncomfor...

'Maybe I have an eating problem - or maybe I don't. I don't know. But I don't feel sick enough to get help, or to need or deserve help. My case is not as bad as what others might go through...'. I have heard this statement from many people with ED. Heck, even I used to say and think it a lot! But why? Why is it that so many people with ED never feel sick enough? Why do they keep getting sicker by the day but not realize or see that they are getting weak and ill? A study ( http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/eat.22045/full ) showed that in patients with ED, there appears to be an altered response to pain and body image related to their size. What this means is that the part of the brain that senses pain related to weakness (ex. from not eating enough or getting enough nutrition and energy) does not function properly. So, someone ill with ED might be very weak, but their brain does not sense this. They may therefore live their lives and not realize or feel ...

As a little girl, I loved playing with Barbie dolls. I didn't have many, but was nonetheless fascinated by how beautiful they were. I brushed their hair, changed their clothes, and thoroughly enjoyed my time. Note: You can read more about the Barbie issue here: http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-magazine-monitor-26465106 You may have heard about how Barbie dolls aren't realistic in that their bodies are 'made' to be smaller than what the average female is like. There is no doubting this - Barbie dolls are, of course, not your typical female. They have ever so slight curves and slim bodies.  This has caused some distress along some people, who say that the bodies of Barbies promote unhealthy ideas about what our bodies should look like. And to some extent, I think they are right. Barbie dolls aren't accurate depictions of what most women look like. But then again, who said they were supposed to be? As someone recovered from anorexia, I can tell you right away that I...

Why do we want ED victims to get treatment quickly? By now, you likely have a good idea of a few reasons.... 1) ED can kill victims quickly and without warning, even if the patient looks and feels 'fine' 2) ED is hard to recover from and the longer it goes untreated, the harder it is to recover 3) ED patients need a lot of help and support, so they need professional assistance But what about the damage that ED does to the person's LIFE? I'm talking about quality of life (QoL), a general term for your health in all aspects (physical, mental, emotional, financial, etc.). QoL is like a summary of your entire life: is it good or bad? Do you have enough money? Are you eating well and healthy? Can you afford to buy what you need and want? Are you happy? Do you have people to support you? Do you feel relaxed once in a while? How stressed are you? Do you ever feel depressed or unable to engage in daily activities of life? Now let's shift to the effects of ED on a pat...