Giving thanks… to my eating disorder
November 27, 2008 by angelique
Filed under Women's Health
Under the auspices of “turning lemons into lemonade”, I have decided to give some thought about why I should be thankful (yes, that’s right) that I had (have) an eating disorder.
In no particular order, I’ve come up with the following five reasons to give thanks. Please know that I’m not suggesting that eating disorders are somehow “okay”, but when you have one in your history, you either have to embrace your past and learn from it or… well… you know the rest.
Five Reasons I’m Thankful I Had/Have an Eating Disorder:
1. My ED has made me more aware of the way I treat other people, especially women. I’m extremely careful not to praise people solely on their appearances. This goes for little girls, too. I may call a child “cute”, but I always follow up by saying, “And I bet you’re smart, too!”
2. I do not label people as “fat” because it’s cruel and demeaning. (I must admit that I do still call myself fat — but that’s something I’m working on.)
3. My son has benefited tremendously from having a mommy who does not judge people based on their weight or looks. In fact, he tends to talk about what people do and say, not what they look like.
4. My ED has allowed me to help others. I’ve had the opportunity to talk with many young (and mature) women about anorexia and feelings of low self-worth related to poor body image, control issues, et cetera.
5. Having an eating disorder has encouraged me to become a part of the pro-recovery movement. Hence, I was able to snag this position as the writer of Breaking the Mirror and meet all of you! Now THAT’S wonderful!
So — how have YOU used your eating disorder to better your life or the lives of others?
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My ed has helped me develop a deep sense of compassion for others who are hurting in any way, shape, or form. Like you, I try not to look at people based on their size, but rather their heart.
I started my blog and YouTube channel to get the word out there that there is hope, and I try to be as honest as possible. There are slips, and I share those as well because they are what make me human, and help others to relate to me as well.
I’ve met so many wonderful people through the above avenues, it makes it all worth it, despite the pain.
Great post and great points. My binge eating disorder has helped me learn more about emotional eating. It has helped me learn how to face my emotions and deal with them instead of using food to cope
Well done, Ang. A very nice post. Happy Thanksgiving to you.