My Story: Society clearly has a huge impact on self image. Sadly, 80% of women are unhappy with their appearance and 4 out of 5 ten-year-olds are scared of being fat. Now more than ever people are struggling with eating disorders and becoming obsessed with their appearance due to the unrealistic expectations society has demanded. To put it simply, something has to change in our society. Back in high school, I was a victim of an eating disorder called anorexia and my experience with this disease dramatically changed my life. I’ve decided to share my story and reach out to those struggling with eating disorders because I want to give back the help I received and give hope to those who desperately need it. Anorexia is a serious deadly disease, but the good news is, it’s a disease that can be defeated if treated in time. My struggle with anorexia started in the 10th grade and once I hit 87 lbs my parents decided to take action and bring me to the Mayo Clinic for intense treatment. I didn’t have my period for years, my organs had already started to shut down, and my heart rate was very slow. In all reality, I was slowly killing myself and I was in desperate need of help. I had my own team of doctors I worked with for over two years to get me where I am today. When I wasn’t at the hospital, I had my family keeping me accountable and watching me. My disease hated my family and was constantly at battle with them. It was a very difficult journey for me and my family, but if it wasn’t for their tough love, I would still be in the chains of this overpowering disease or I would be dead. For those of you struggling with this, I want you to know that I completely understand what you’re going through and

I’m available to talk to. I understand the constant fear, control, rigidness and strict routines you deal with every single day. I understand the panicked feeling you get whenever dealing with food, especially when you’re in a different place than your usual eating environment. I understand the hate and frustration you get from your peers on a daily basis. It is a scary dark place that no one understands except those who have personally gone through this. Today I am healthier than I have ever been, but I have to continue to keep myself accountable. Like alcoholism and any other addiction, this is something I will deal with the rest of my life, but as of right now I’m in control, not the disease. I want you to know that if you’re one of the many struggling with an eating disorder, there is hope and you don’t have to feel what you are feeling any longer. The first step in recovering is to ask for help because you cannot defeat this alone. Statistics from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLCKJe8KEgY Distorted Beauty: I am a graphic design major, which means I work very closely with the adobe programs. I wanted to give you a glimpse of what adobe photoshop can do by showing you this video. The reason I am doing this is because a lot of the images we see in magazines and advertisements are dramatically retouched and distorted to fit the unrealistic mold society has created. These kinds of images bombard us on a daily basis and as a result have distorted our view on true beauty. Because of this, it is easy to forget that beauty comes in all shapes, sizes, and colors. Our uniqueness is what makes us interesting and we shouldn’t feel ashamed of that. Please click on the link listed below to view the Dove self-esteem video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rSjh52fGTg#watch-main-area

View original here:
[Forum] My Recovery From Anorexia