Raising awareness in action!

Today is the 7th and final day of Eating Disorders Awareness week! 

And for the last day of this awareness week, I finally managed to post something on my personal instagram! (didn't manage Facebook because way more people follow me, but I'm proud I managed something at least.)

I had to cut down what I wrote below so it wouldn't go over the max words it would post, but I thought I'd post the longer version on here.

Today is the last day of Eating Disorders Awareness Week 2014, and I have finally plucked up the courage to post something about it. I feel physically sick posting this, but I am determined to raise awareness and break stigma about eating disorders, so I'm doing it anyway.

But why should I be ashamed; why should I hide it? 

If I had broken my leg I wouldn't be afraid to tell someone, so why should eating disorders be any different? They shouldn't.

I was diagnosed with anorexia nervosa on the 9th May 2013, and I've been at the Priory for 4 months recovering from it. It is only with their help and huge amounts of support and encouragement from my family and few close friends that I've nearly beat it.

Last year was hell. At my worst I was so cold all the time, I couldn't focus on conversations at all, I fell behind at school and felt weak and tired. I'm just thankful my parents spotted it before it got any worse or went on for any longer.

You don't "choose" to have an eating disorder.

It starts off as an innocent idea to eat healthily and stop eating so much chocolate etc, but before you know it it can spiral out of control and become a full-blown eating disorder. 

Anorexia isn't just "being skinny". It's in your head; you can't concentrate on anything except food, exercise, calories and body image. You lose everything: your friends, your happiness, your health. And no matter how thin you get, you will never be happy with your appearance. You don't see yourself how you really are, your perception becomes warped and wrong. People with eating disorders aren't "attention seeking", they don't want the illness any more than any other person. It's hard to recover from when you're in the grips of the illness, no matter how hard you try. But it is possible.

Also, just because you see yourself as bigger than you actually are, does not mean that you think everyone else who are normal sizes are fat; it doesn't work like that.

You don't have to be thin to have an eating disorder either; it's a mental health condition, and being underweight or overweight are just physical consequences/ symptoms of it.

Eating disorders can come about for all sorts of reasons, but often they are caused by stress and feeling out of control of your life. People turn to food as a way of coping, and it is so easy to fall into the grips of an eating disorder. But they only create more problems- and need lots of help and support to overcome.

If you think you know someone suffering from an eating disorder, tell someone about it. You might just save their life.

* * *

And you know what? So far I haven't had a single mean comment for it, and quite a few people had like the photo which means they must support it, so it was worth it after all. I've also had a few really lovely comments- even from people I hardly know! That makes me so happy.

Hope you all had a good Eating Disorders Awareness Week 2014,

Hannah xox