Eating Disorder Advocacy After Recovery


February 24, 2021
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When I think of Not One More, I think of a very special young lady that we lost to her eating disorder. I was blessed to have known her and work with her as her therapist and was devastated to lose her to this disease. Since her loss, every time I smash a scale or go to an eating disorder awareness walk or event, I think of never losing another to an eating disorder again. Not a day goes by that I don’t think of her.

I think of:
Not one more meal missed
Not one more vacation not taken
Not one more class dropped
Not one more relationship lost
Not one more plan cancelled
Not one more tear shed in a dressing room
Not one more moment of self-hate because of the shape or size of my body
Not one more lie told about how much I ate that day
Not one more thought telling me that I would be good enough if I was a different size
Not one more day feeling hopeless
Not one more day hiding my true self
Not one more moment lost to being in a relationship with an eating disorder and not with loved ones
• Not one more precious life lost.

I consider myself one of the lucky ones – one that is blessed to be a recovered professional. I am recovered from an eating disorder as well as alcoholism and the other “isms” that go along with it. I lost a lot while I was in my eating disorder and I continue to gain so much in my life, roughly 20 years without an eating disorder. I eat intuitively and enjoy many types of joyful movement such as being in the open water or swinging on monkey bars! I embrace every chance I get to share a meal with friends, family members or colleagues.

Being recovered does not mean that my life is perfect and that I don’t have issues. It does mean that I get to deal with challenges without turning to my body or food for the answer. It means that I am still a beautifully flawed human and I can allow myself to be vulnerable, not needing to hide behind an eating disorder.

Not one more means that I will do whatever it takes, every day, to help a client, family or member of the community recover. I will help them to know that they are not alone, to know that an eating disorder does not have to be a life sentence and that becoming fully recovered is real and possible for anyone. This also means that I will continue to advocate in my state capital and our nation’s capital, for legislation that leads to more people being able to receive treatment. I am honored to be a voice for those that are not yet able to use theirs or who will never get that chance.

Not one more means that I have dedicated my life to helping others to recover. It means that I will continue to work on myself and grow so that I can continue to use my personal experience to help others.

 

Founded in 1996, Monte Nido & Affiliates specializes in the treatment of eating disorders for all genders and includes four distinct clinical programs: Monte Nido, Clementine, Oliver-Pyatt Centers, and Rosewood Centers for Eating Disorders. For over two decades, our tenured and expert staff — which includes recovered professionals — has delivered treatment that leads to full recovery. With over thirty programs in twelve states, Monte Nido & Affiliates provides eating and co-occurring disorder treatment in inpatient, residential, partial hospitalization, and intensive outpatient levels of care. For more information, please visit: https://www.montenido.com