"Healing Begins"

(by Tenth Avenue North) Healing Begins - The Light Meets the Dark

Healing Begins by Tenth Avenue North on Grooveshark



If you know me or have been around this blog for any length of time, then you know why this week is so important to me. But it has been a couple of years since I posted the story of my journey with an eating disorder. And since I don't really like how there's not a simple way to link to the three separate posts in the correct order, I decided to post a condensed version of my story into this one post. Here goes...

One of my earliest memories is when I was four and realized that I was bigger than my five-year-old brother. I didn't realize then that my brother was (and is still) very small for a guy. He is also a great person whom I have always admired and wanted to be like. He was very good; and while I wasn’t bad, it always seemed that he was better. I was compared to him quite a bit; and in turn, I compared myself to him for most of my life.

My mother moved out when I was young and left my brother and me behind. Within a couple of years, my parents were divorced. My brother and I were separated: he went to live with my dad, and I went with Mom. I felt rejected by my dad, and 10 years passed before I found out that he had wanted me, too.

Despite coming from a dysfunctional home, going to church throughout my life afforded me a strong foundation of biblical truth; and I held tightly to the relationship that I began with Jesus when I was a small child. I loved God and had a desire to please Him. I pretended things were great because I thought that Christians were supposed to be happy all the time. I hid my feelings, afraid to let anyone know that I was struggling. I didn't know who I was in Christ, I didn't love myself, and I didn't understand even a fraction of the depth of God's love for me.

My life seemed to spiral downhill when I was a teenager. I felt that if my own mother and father could reject me, then there must be something wrong with me. I did what I could to “fix” what I felt was wrong in my life by being “good,” working hard, and trying to make myself pretty enough to be accepted; but I felt out of control. I took the one thing I thought I could control and ended up abusing it in the form of an eating disorder. By the time I left for college, I weighed what I had in middle school. Within a few months, though, I gained the typical “Freshman Fifteen” and got my weight back up to where it should have been. I considered the weight thing a “little problem” in my past, and tried to go about life as usual.

One weekend during my third semester in college, my life changed forever. I had a friend who was bold enough to confront me about my eating disorder. He saw right through the lies I was telling him and myself. He made me realize that my “little problem” in the past wasn’t little and wasn’t in the past. And it was sin. I knew that I had to take steps to get past it. I went to see a counselor on campus, and over the past 18 years have made many steps towards being set free.

My road to freedom hasn't been a quick one, though. I initially quit making the unhealthy choices, but I still had an unhealthy mindset. I thought that if I pretended it wasn’t there, I wouldn’t have to experience the pain it took to face it all and put it behind me. There were many steps in my healing process, and in my mid-20’s I realized that I was still bound by a lot of the bitterness and negative thought patterns from the past. It was painful to evaluate the past and discover why I felt the way that I did, but I had a few friends and mentors who counseled, encouraged, and prayed with me. I began to experience a joy and freedom I had never known before. God has done so much inside of me as I’ve allowed Him to peel back the layers and really set me free from all that I tried to ignore for so long. My journey has been a process of giving over control of each part of my life to God: the One source of stability and the only One who truly can have control over everything.

If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, I want you to know that help is available and recovery is possible! NEDA has information and resources available through their website and helpline:
NEDA Helpline: (800) 931-2237

And if you are struggling, please don't hesitate to contact me. If you'd rather not leave a public comment, you can message me privately by clicking "Email me" below my header & tabs. I will pray for you and help you find counseling in your area. You can't do this alone. There are people available to help you. Even more than that, the God who fearfully and wonderfully created you wants to help you, too. Let your healing begin. ♥

Amy

Comments

Brooke said…
love you and your courage to share your story
RR Mama said…
You are amazing! Wonderful story and know that you are helping someone. It may not be directly but you never know who might read your post and then tell someone they know who needs help.
Zion said…
Thank you for sharing your story and stepping up to the plate to confront the evil that is prowling around ready to steal kill and destroy. Thank you for bringing truth.

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