National Eating Disorder Awareness 2015, Feb. 22 to 28, featured the theme: I Had No Idea. The goal of this campaign is to promote early intervention and help individuals struggling with an eating disorder get the help they need.
An eating disorder can cause many other issues in the lives of victims, creating a psychological environment that a person cannot be comfortable in. As a student, it would be incredibly difficult to overcome this obstacle without help and this is the importance of spreading awareness of eating disorders.
A nationaleatingdisorders.org user feroreco7, posted about her personal experience with anorexia and bulimia in the Working Toward Recovery forum.
“I live in the university dorms, I have my own room […] so it is easy to do what I want,” feroreco7 said. “I’m scared and I know I’m conscious, I’m aware of my problem but I don’t know why I can’t get out of it even though I’ve tried. Every single morning I wake up thinking, this is my day, I will eat as a normal person and won’t throw up. But that day never seems to become a reality.”
Feroreco7 is just one of many forum users that is writing about her issues as a student suffering with an eating disorder. Websites like this help people who are suffering by connecting them with others that may be going through the same thing. Creating awareness about eating disorders gives victims a voice and an opportunity to heal.
According to an informational letter published by the Eating Recovery Center that can be located in the Psychological Counseling Services department, upwards of 11 million Americans both male and female struggle with eating disorders. With such a large percentage of the population living with an eating disorder we all need to become more sensitive, understanding and aware of the symptoms to help those around us.
Another forum user, Hannah, discussed her new outlook on life thanks to never-ending support of friends and family while in recovery.
“With support from friends, I’m okay now,” Hannah said. “Just because we have bad days doesn’t mean we are destined to repeat our past […] I have never felt more beautiful or as loved. We are so strong and we can do anything we put our minds to. We are enough.”
Hannah makes a great point in this post: We are all enough. Society today throws many different standards that pressure us into believing we have to live and look a certain way. Despite Hannah’s inspiring story of recovery, these forums should not be the only place where these stories are being told. Students should have access to counseling services that allow them to talk to someone in person.
Overcoming an eating disorder is not something that anyone should have to do alone. At California State University, Stanislaus students have access to the Psychological Counseling Services department located in the Mary Stuart Rogers building suite 210. Psychological Counseling Services offer confidential appointments for students Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The department also offers a variety of Wellness Workshops that can help students in a group setting with anything from depression to improving body image.
To reach the Psychological Counseling Services department or to schedule an appointment call 209-667-3381.