Recovering From An Eating Disorder

Summary

Harriet shares her journey with an eating disorder, starting from childhood. At 17, she's spent years in hospitals and recovery centers, often lying about her condition. Despite losing much of her life to the disorder, she's determined to turn her life around, seeking help and support to discover her true self. Harriet hopes her story will inspire compassion and give a voice to others struggling with eating disorders, emphasizing that recovery is possible and everyone is enough.

Takeaways

• 👶 Harriet recalls having a negative body image since early childhood, influenced by her father's comments about her weight.
• 🍳 At age five, Harriet learned about calories and began to develop unhealthy eating habits.
• 🏃‍♀️ Harriet's mother's obsessive dieting and exercising influenced her to start restricting food intake at a young age.
• 🔢 At 10 years old, Harriet started to feel self-conscious about her weight, leading to severe eating restrictions.
• 🏥 By 13, Harriet's eating disorder was severe enough to require hospitalization.
• 🏋️‍♀️ Harriet's freshman year of high school was marked by extreme exercise, calorie counting, purging, and hospital stays.
• 💔 At 17, Harriet has spent three years in and out of hospitals and recovery centers, struggling with her eating disorder.
• 🗣️ Harriet lied to loved ones, becoming unrecognizable in her efforts to hide her disorder.
• 🌟 Harriet is determined to turn her life around, seeking help and support to discover her true self.
• 🌈 Harriet's ultimate goal is happiness and to feel proud of herself by the end of the year.
• 💌 Harriet hopes her story will inspire compassion and understanding for those struggling with eating disorders.

Q & A

What was Harriet's earliest memory related to her body image?

Harriet's earliest memory related to her body image was when she was around three years old, and her father told her he couldn't pick her up because she was too heavy.

At what age did Harriet learn about calories?

Harriet learned about calories at the age of five.

What impact did Harriet's mother's behavior have on her?

Harriet's mother's obsessive dieting and exercising led Harriet to stop eating breakfast and start drinking weight loss shakes at the age of nine.

When did Harriet start feeling self-conscious about her weight?

Harriet started feeling self-conscious about her weight when she was about ten years old.

What was the connection Harriet made between eating less and losing weight?

Harriet made the connection between eating less and losing weight around the time she turned 13.

What extreme behaviors did Harriet engage in during her freshman year of high school?

During her freshman year of high school, Harriet started exercising, counting calories, purging, and restricting her eating to the point of hospitalization.

How old is Harriet now and what has her life been like for the past three years?

Harriet is now 17 years old and has spent the last three years in and out of hospitals and recovery centers.

What did Harriet sacrifice in order to protect her eating disorder?

Harriet sacrificed her strongest morals to protect her eating disorder.

What is Harriet's main motivation for wanting to change?

Harriet's main motivation for wanting to change is to accept the help, support, and love that surrounds her every day.

What does Harriet want to be when she grows up?

Harriet wants to be happy when she grows up.

What message does Harriet have for people who have eating disorders?

Harriet hopes that people who have eating disorders will feel like they have a voice, and that they will feel less guilty, alone, and hopeless.

What does Harriet believe about the choice to have an eating disorder and the choice to overcome it?

Harriet believes that having an eating disorder may not be a choice, but overcoming it is a choice she and others can make.