The month of February was all about Pro Recovery for me and 11 other bloggers in the eating disorder and body image field. We made it our mission to spread motivational messages, hope and compelling reasons for taking on the hard struggle of recovery all over the web.
The turnout has been more than great and I would like to thank everybody who participated and helped to show that there is always a light at the end of the tunnel, no matter how dark your days are right now.
I will create an eBook in the next weeks including all the blog posts in order to give you an entire book of motivation and inspiration that you can read whenever you feel like the world is going to end and you cannot take another step towards health and freedom.
However, if you cannot wait so long, I have put together all the links to the websites of those you were on board, together with the golden nuggets of their message.
The Let’s Recovery Together team kicked the project off with this post.
Abby decided to contribute her thoughts too and you can read the entire post here.
I never intended to numb myself out to my entire life, however. Recognizing, feeling, and valuing your feelings is both a necessary step in recovery and a wonderful part of living. One thing I’ve learned to appreciate in recovery, that I would have never appreciated if I had never had an eating disorder is this:
You can’t feel the best feelings without allowing yourself to feel and tolerate the most painful and uncomfortable ones.
Next up was Matt Wetsel.
Susa stepped up and wrote about her struggle with anorexia for the very first time!
Jessica shared her thoughts on why recovery is still worth it.
In recovery, you realize your body is special.
You are worth saving.
Life is too short to be miserable, sick, and hungry.
Food has a purpose.
It fuels your body to give you the energy to live.
You will remember what it feels like to hope and to dream.
If you’re healthy, you can actually begin to make them come true.
When you’re free from your eating disorder, you are free.
Your thoughts are your own.
You don’t have to answer to anyone.
You don’t have to lie to people or live a double life.
You don’t have to feel guilty.
You don’t have to hate yourself.
Food is not the enemy.
You don’t have to be afraid of food.
Your hair will stop falling out.
Your stomach will stop growling.
You won’t be light-headed.
And you won’t gain a hundred pounds.
Eventually, you’ll stop fighting with the mirror.
You will begin to trust yourself.
You will begin to take care of yourself.
You will begin to love yourself.
You can start over.
It’s not too late.
You are worth saving. “
Then it was Sia Jane’s turn to share her amazing message.
Tracey shared what she gained from recovery.
Then it was my turn to share my homage to recovery.
But now, one year into recovery, I have lifted my point of view and what I see is bombastic.
Today I see what everybody around me had been talking about for so long. I feel the vibrant lust for life that others experience and I am, for the first time ever, thrilled and grateful to be alive.
Working on myself and letting go off my eating disorder has completely changed every single aspect of my existence.
I feel the hope and the opportunity that each day embodies. I wake up full of energy, excited about the possibilities of the day. I am no longer the bundle of weakness I was a year ago, but full of energy and drive.
Arielle posted her invaluable thoughts on recovery here.
I know this, because I’m a recovered individual myself. It wasn’t always an easy path. I worked hard, used support, created support I didn’t already have, and kept climbing.
Today, I’m happy and healthy in body and mind. I’ve been fully recovered for some years now. I live my every day, a woman who is transformed from the girl she used to be.
Then it was Benjamin’s turn to shared his insight on recovery.
Becky shared her unique perspective as a parent of an eating disorder sufferer.
So today I am sharing my “Top 10 Reasons for Recovery! “
1. There are people who care about you and want you to live.
2. You are special because you are alive.
3. Life in recovery is amazing.
4. It gets better.
5. You have talents and gifts that are unique and the world is waiting for them.
6. Your true self is waiting to be released.
7. Your dog/bird/spider/lizard/cat/pet.
8. Having FUN!
9. Enjoying life and food and yourself.
10. It would make Becky happy to know that Ed lost and YOU won! Truly.
Last but certainly not least, it was Mare you wrote about recovery.
As you can see, recovery has many shapes and forms and looks different for every single person. But there is one message that weaved itself through every article: everybody has gained from being in recovery. Not one single blogger expressed regret for having recovered, but everybody has found themselves and their true path by fighting against their eating disorder.
This can happen to you too. As we all said, it isn’t easy and it exhausts you to the point where you feel like you cannot go on, but it is worth it. If you don’t take anything away from all of those message but the fact that there is a life after your eating disorder and this life is worth fighting for, then you have already made huge steps in the right direction.
Keep Fighting!
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