Coming to terms with your Eating Disorder is hard. You feel alone and sometimes like you are the only person who has ever dealt with these feelings. It is easy to hold all of these emotions inside. Sometimes it feels like these emotions are too much to let out into the real world, almost like if we don’t talk about it then they aren’t real. It may seem easier to shove these emotions down when they start to seem overwhelming. We often think these things because we feel that our feelings and emotions are too much to bring to others. We don’t want to overwhelm anyone else with the baggage we are holding. But why should we have to carry that baggage alone? The good news is – we don’t. We don’t have to carry this baggage alone.
We are not alone in these thoughts, feelings, or emotions. There are people who want to help lead us to the most confident and best version of ourselves. We often cannot even picture what this version of ourselves looks like. This is where our support system comes in to play. The people who love and care for us sometimes have a better image of what this version of our self looks like and they can help us get a glimpse of that person when we can’t. We often look in the mirror for advice. On days that we are feeling down and our negative emotions are taking over, it is easy to get caught up in the negative thoughts that we are telling ourselves. As humans, we tend to create a tunnel vision and look towards ourselves to guide us. In order to find ourselves, we have to expand this tunnel vision to the people who support us and want the best for us.
This support system may look different for each person. Support can come from friends, family, therapists, mentors… you name it. Some people find support in community groups through their work, their church, and other extracurriculars. Through these groups of people, there are individuals who are struggling with something in their own lives. Becoming vulnerable can be difficult. But, being vulnerable is actually a sign of courage. We become more resilient and brave when we embrace who we truly are and what we are feeling – and often times this takes the help of others to guide us to find ourselves. Vulnerability helps us bring light to all our emotions and to help fully process them. Finding those safe people to be vulnerable with can be scary, but those people are out there and are waiting for the chance to help guide you back towards the path of becoming the best YOU there is.
By: Kristen Grimes, Master’s level intern
