With this post though i want to talk about seeking help or talking to people. I know that treatment can be expensive and not everyone has the funds to actually receive treatment and sometimes the first treatment you receive isnt the best. But there is always someone you can talk to, even if it is an eating disorder hotline or suicidal hotline. There is always someone you can talk to.
But i also want to bring up the fact that blogs and online sites arent always enough, and it is important to get some sort of help or treatment. I love that my blog can help you and act as a sort of first step or give you some advice, but it is not always enough. For some, it is and that is absolutely great but i do ALWAYS suggest that seeking professional help should be the first step. It is hard, i know. I have never willingly seeked help and the treatment i received was because i was forced into treatment, so unfortunately i am not such a great role model on the front of seeking professional help. But that doesn't stop me from advising others to do it, because it is helpful. And if you dont recieve help for some reason then online help can be great, but having support around you and someone you can talk to is important.
It is not always easy to talk to others or ask for help, but it is a first step and a very important step. If you dont ask for help you will never know whether you receive it or not. So you have to gather the courage and talk to someone and also realise that you need help. You need to want to recover for yourself and your life. Know that recovery may be tough, but it is worth it, i promise you that!! Life has its ups and downs but life is so much easier and so much better when you arent suffering from an eating disorder.
So if you have kept your eating disorder a secret or you feel yourself relapsing or you are struggling, this week i want you to ask for help. Whether you talk to your family, friends, school nurse, therapist, doctor, hotline... talk to someone and ask for help because you deserve help and deserve to get better!!
"It’s Time to Talk About It
The National Eating Disorders Association’s free Information and Referral Helpline is a safe and confidential place to ask questions, find support and receive free information and referrals. We are available Monday - Thursday 9am-9pm & Friday 9am-5pm Eastern Time. Our volunteers receive intensive training on eating disorders, and are here to guide you!
The NEDA Helpline can be contacted at (800) 931-2237, info@nationaleatingdisorders.org, and through our click-to-chat feature on our website at www.nationaleatingdisorders.org.
You may also find information and referrals to eating disorders experts on our website at www.nationaleatingdisorders.org."

I was just looking at the statistics and what do you think it means by the 18-20% die within 20 years of onset? Does it just mean if they don't recover? Because it's really freaked me out even though I'm at a healthy weight now am I doomed already??? :(((((
ReplyDeleteI think it's if the person doesn't recover. Or due to relapse as the relapse rate is rather high. If you are healthy and feel healthy then your mortality rate is just like anyone else and not something you should think about!!
DeleteIt's so true, seeking prifessional help is very important. I also didn't want any help, I thought, I forced myself to believe that I was happy with my disordered habits, then my parents contacted psychiatrist, she was awful, but then she sent me to an eating disorder specialised hospital, and I hated being there, but I felt how I was getting better, and how good it was for me, even though I wad there in the summer, while everyone out there wad on holiday... The point is that professional help is scary and tough, and some 'professionals'are simply not meant for you, but when you fimd a good one, yoz really feel the change:)
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to getting help for an ED, just how do you begin? I mean I know you see a doctor, but how do you approach it? For several years now I have falling deeper and deeper into an ED but despite seeing my doctor about various physical ailments - which I know myself are down to the ED - it has never been picked up on. I have even been referred to and discharged by a hospital specialist when my doctor was at a loss as to how to treat my ailments - again the ED has never come up. I realise I need to say something, but how? I cannot understand how my ED has been "missed". I am physically unwell and markedly underweight, even I can see that.
ReplyDeleteThe time has come for me to seek proper help but I really don`t know how to approach the doctor with it. How do others make that initial first step?