At 16, are you living or surviving?

By: Edna

I’m not gonna write poems about things such as ‘you have to eat if you want to be alive’.

Oh Gosh, how many times have I heard this…. It’s not helpful at all. What if I eat but keep thinking about calories? Is that the point? There is only one answer: NO! The main battle is in our head. When we commit to recover, we’ll experience beautiful times but also hard ones. And that’s the life. I can’t speak about this topic with complete authority because I’m still not recovered. I’m fighting. I’m a warrior. I can beat this. So can you!

You have to love yourself and want to recover. You will need support. You’ll have hard times but recovery is worth it. Eventually you will be able to live your life fully, eat without obsessing about calories, enjoy the cake, go for a walk and not be afraid for your heart.

You need to find your own motivation, your own reason to keep going. My inspiration is my beautiful mommy. I hope this will be just a bad memory one day.

I found out that writing helps me. Don’t compare yourself to others. Everyone is different. Imagine this: Would you starve your pet? Probably not. So why are you starving yourself then? Also remember that all food is good food and ‘too much’ does not exist in recovery. Eat to feel full, both physically and mentally. You are worth it. You’ll beat this. I believe in you. You are magic. I love you, bye.

About Edna

I am 16 years old. I’ve had an eating disorder for two-and-a-half years. I enjoy learning, drawing, writing, walking, doing yoga. My biggest support is my mom. I wish to be an idol for someone. My dream job is acting! One day, I wanna be an actress in Hollywood! I also have lots of plans for the future but I don’t wanna reveal everything. Current wish is to recover. I wanna show everyone who Edna is and what she can do! I enjoy spending time with my mother with a cup of black Turkish coffee. If you want to know what’s my favorite food, I’d say pancakes! But my love for watermelon is huge. I know this pandemic quarantine makes everything much harder but let’s pretend this is a chance to get your life back in your hands! I would like to start with YouTube but I’m afraid of people’s reactions. I’ve tried once and it didn’t go well. But I’m proud and glad that I have a chance to write this and maybe help some of you! Keep going my lovelies. You’re not alone. I am here always!

World Eating Disorders Action Day

World Eating Disorders Action Day is taking place across the world on June 2, 2020. For the 5th year running, this grassroots campaign brings together ALL OF YOU from more than 50 countries and over 250 organizations around the globe to increase awareness about EDs and evidence-based treatment. EDs are life threatening, brain-based disorders, with genetic linkages and metabolic factors. They are also possible to treat, especially when identified and treated EARLY.

Join us in sharing the information posted on this page, and the stories we share! We welcome stories of up to 800 words – that help to break stigma by sharing your experiences, and particularly how you have been impacted by, and are coping with the challenges of, COVID19. Also, keep checking the website www.worldeatingdisordersday.org for news of events.

To submit your story for this blog, write to: worldeatingdisorderday@gmail.com and june@junealexander.com

Remember to #StaySafe #StayHome and #ShareYourStory