One year in Recovery - a Bowling Green University sophomore's story of struggle and success

Eating disorders are something covered in high school health classes, or seen on posters during a prevention week... It's whispered and gossiped about, usually behind backs and closed doors. Growing up, I didn't think about it too often. I didn't have one, no one I knew had one... I thought.
During my sophomore year of college, just last year, I was messing around on facebook between classes. Clicking around on my friend's pages, just seeing what everyone's been up to. I always love to look at my underclassmen friends from high school's prom pictures. It was May, the season of tans, dresses, updos, makeup, uncomfortable shoes, and hundreds of pictures. So when I came across my friend Kelli's page, I was concerned to see all the comments with well wishes and prayers for her. I was afraid she'd been in some sort of accident, so I texted another girl I knew that was still in school there. She told me Kelli had been diagnosed with an eating disorder and was in the hospital. I was shocked. Kelli?? But she's ALWAYS been so skinny! She's just a naturally small girl. She was always happy and laughing and everyone loved to be around her. She wasn't sad or depressed or a loner that I ever saw, the way I figured someone with an eating disorder would be. Kelli was friends with everyone and had a great relationship with her family. She was a varsity cheerleader, homecoming queen, miss popular, her life seems fairytale-esque. But, in the famous words of Taylor Swift - I'm not a Princess, This ain't a fairytale...

I approached Kelli about writing her story for my blog not because it was a sad story and we seem to be drawn to the fairytale gone wrong sort of headlines... but because I KNOW her story will touch everyone that reads it. There may be a person that reads it and is struggling themself, this might be what they need to reach out, get help. Or maybe for another person to recognize the signs in someone they love, the way so many people didn't in Kelli. Anyone that knows Kelli knows what an amazing and beautful person she truly is, inside and out. So from the bottom of my heart Kel, thanks for sharing this.

Above are pictures from Kelli's Senior year in High School, while she was struggling with anorexia

At 5'2 and 115 pounds I am proud to say im in recovery from an eating disorder. I went to Buckeye Valley High School and cheered throughout high school. My friends meant the world to me and so did my family. I'm an only child, so I'm very close to my parents. My dad is a business man, his work keeps him away from home a lot, and my mom stays at home. Overall, I was happy.

It was my senior year in 2008-2009 and it was going amazing. I got fall homecoming queen, got accepted into colleges, and was on my way to graduation. Until body image came into play. It all started in the fall. I would look into a mirror and hate what I saw. I hated how 'fat' I was. So I started starving myself and working out intensely. I was also taking a work out class at school which got in extra workouts, not helping my situation. Starving myself wasn't good enough for me, I was losing the weight but I wanted to lose it more quickly. So I started purging. I always wore baggy clothes or loose fits tops so people couldn't tell I was losing weight so drastically.

It wasn't until spring time, as I was getting ready for my senior prom, when I tried on my prom dress I was 000. They didn't even makes that size in prom dresses. Then at prom, all my friends' moms saw me and came to my mom and said I needed help. Thats when my parents took action and basically did an intervention with me and a few friends at my house. I was in denial. I still thought I was 'fat'. I did not think I had an eating disorder. My parents took me to the doctor and I was diagnosed as anorexic. I was rushed to Children's Hospital where I spent a week recieving treatment. It was the worse experience of my life. After leaving the hospital, I went directly into a rehab program in Columbus called 'The Center for Balanced Living'. I loved my rehab program, the girls in it, and my couselors there. I was in the rehab center for four months. After rehab I went straight from rehab center to Bowling Green State Univeristy. I gained back 20 pounds throughout the program and had a horrible time dealing with the weight gain, even though I was at a healthy weight.

Still to this day I struggle with my eating disorder. I struggle with it every single day. I just wish people would understand that eating disorders are a DISORDER. People looked at me differently after they heard about what had happened, like I was starving myself on purpose or for attention. It's a mental illness that is with me forever,  and I struggle so I can succeed. I will continue you fight, so I can succeed and overcome. I may have an eating disorder, but I am not my eating disorder.

This is Kelli today. Happy, Healthy, HOT ;)

 

Here's a couple facts for you:

1 in 5 women struggle with an eating disorder or disordered eating.

Eating Disorders affect up to 24 million Americans and 70 million individuals worldwide.

90 % of those who have eating disorders are women between the ages of 12 and 25.

At least 50,000 individuals will die as a direct result of an eating disorder.

It is estimated that currently 11% of high school students have been diagnosed with an eating disorder.

(from the Alliance for Eating Disorders Awareness)

 

Thankfully for Kelli, she's is on the road to recovery. As a matter of fact, today May 19, 2010 is her one year anniversary for being in recovery from her eating disorder. CONGRATULATIONS GIRL!!! <3 :)

 

If you or someone you know is struggling, please, GET HELP. Life is too short, and you too beautiful to spend one more day suffering. Reach out, tell someone. Having an eating disorder does not make you a weak person, getting help makes you a strong person. Strong enough to beat the odds. :)