One Year Post Eating Disorder Treatment Update - Part 1/3

Progress, snapshots, struggles, tools.

I forgot to mention another huge tool that I'm thankful to be involved with: www.youtube.com/werfreedomfighters. They are my girls. My freedom fighting sisters. They inspire me every day and instill confidence in me to go on advocating for myself and others. I love spreading messages of hope and positivity, and they've catapulted me forward!

They have also helped me feel a sense of belonging. Its important to feel belonging in a recovery sense. The message that you belong because you're in recovery / recovered is extremely reinforcing. You're doing the right thing. Because you are recovering, you are accepted and held in high esteem by amazing and strong people. Let that be a positive reinforcement, as opposed to the negative reinforcers that staying in the e.d. gives you - mainly no sense of genuine belonging, or uniting / competing with others over staying down.

Also - my family!!! I didn't mention my family. I have an amazingly supportive family and I am thankful for them every day. I am living with my parents now, which really helps. My parents are helping me out in lots of ways and I am extremely lucky. My aunts, uncles, and cousins are of amazing and unconditional support. In fact, my family deserves its own video. That one will come shortly. Too much to say here. :) Just that I love you guys.

I will also make a video talking about individuality and what my life is like...and elaborate a little on progress that I've talked about here. I realize now that this video isn't exactly the one I thought I'd be making. Expect part 2 shortly. ;)

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• webcam
• video
• jennfriedman

[shrinerspark]

You know what... watching this video, I feel like we (currently at least) are pretty much in the same place ED-wise... we know when we have behaviors, and we do as much as we can to actively avoid them. And I'm starting to feel like I do have a life outside ED despite the discomforts ED might give at times.

[jennfriedman]

@shrinerspark Hey you!!! I love your comments. Wow, I really appreciate that you took the time to watch this video and comment and reflect and spread part of the message. Thank you! It means quite a bit to me. You make total sense about the OCD stuff, about everything else suddenly mattering, and I also agree that it sounds like we are in similar positions in our recovery. And I am so proud of you! I have been watching your videos for a while and I really feel for you and am so proud, truly!

[sassysarah38]

Sorry to hear you were having a bad day- i hope today is better for you? Its great that you can see your progress thus far! WELL DONE!

[jennfriedman]

@sassysarah38 Thank you Sarah! And yes, I am feeling better today. :)

[shrinerspark]

Also, the OCD type stuff? I find that that comes on for me when I get more anxious. I don't have diagnosable OCD, but I have "tendencies", and they come out when I'm feeling scared or afraid or nervous about other things. Especially when I feel incredibly afraid because the ED is not there and suddenly there's this void inside me, and everything suddenly MATTERS, so it seems like every tiny thing matters.

[shrinerspark]

I quoted the part of your desc about belonging in recovery on my (recovery-oriented) Twitter account... I think it's one of the key reasons I've been able to really work so hard at recovery now. I realized that rather than belonging more because I had a problem, I belonged LESS in the real world, and was seen more badly, when I was badly eating disordered. Actually being able to eat makes me more accepted, and I feel like I am part of things when I can be normal about food. :)