So the hardest thing I have ever had to deal with in my whole life so far has been an eating disorder. I fought, lost, and dealt with it for nine long horrible years. I finally was able to beat it, if you can call it that since it still lingers, and have been “clean” for almost two years and eight months now. It is seriously amazing how different you view things and how much easier it is to enjoy life and everything around you when you are not fighting for your life against your body and your mind. I am beyond thankful to my husband because without him I seriously would not have been able to make it this far. He never gave me an ultimatum, but just stood by my side, gave me stability, and was there to comfort me and talk to me when I needed it, even if that meant countless hours of talking me through the same things over and over again. Now I am more happy with myself than I have been in my entire life, and I am beginning to love myself and see myself as a friend instead of an enemy. So, here are some of the poems that I did while battling the disorder near the beginning. To give you a time reference it all started near the end of seventh grade or in the summer after seventh grade when I completely stopped eating and would work out until I would pass out. I had many scares and even would pass out on the side of the road during a run. That was scary because before then I’ve never seen a road come up to meet you in the face before you blacked out, but then without even knowing that it was a thing I started eating again and throwing up. Which landed me in the hospital after a while when I wasn’t able keep water down anymore. My blood pressure was 70/40 and I weighed 92 pounds. Then I was sent to rehab, which didn’t do anything for me because I was the only one in the place with an eating disorder, and as soon as I got out my mom took me out for pizza, and then on the way home I had her pull over and I threw up again. After that everything went from there with me even eating food out of dumpsters sometimes and wasting any money I could get a hold of to buy food from gas stations at one or two in the morning while everyone was sleeping and finding anywhere I could to hide to binge and purge. I would do it at family gatherings. I would do it when friends and family were were just in the other room. Anywhere and anytime I could find, I would do it. Sometimes it would even get way more than up to twenty times a day. Once I could drive, well then that didn’t help at all, and it was nine beyond horrible years that this went on that I wish I could take back. But now I weigh around 140 pounds 🙂 sometimes even 145 if I do a super heavy weight program for a few months, and I feel healthier and happier than ever and am super ecstatic to be as far away from that nightmare as I am now because I never thought I would be.
She’s so confused.
So lost in her head.
Thinking weight is what matters,
so she’s sinking in dread.
She knows she’s killing herself,
but she just can’t quit.
She feels bad with what she’s doing,
but see’s no way out of it.
Shes scared to eat anything,
yet wants it so much.
Getting into everything
and making it come up.
Why can’t she control herself?
Why can’t she just quit?
There’s so many people praying for her
trying to get her out of it.
But she knows she can’t do it,
unless she helps herself.
She has to learn to eat
and stop swimming in doubt.
She wants a good future,
but know it will never come
if she keeps going down this road
not finding a way up.
(A second poem I wrote in my journal right after that)
It’s such a mix-up,
Which way should I go?
Should I go with my fear
and let everything show?
Should I not eat at all
in worry of weight?
Or should I have it all?
It’s never too late.
I could purge it up later
and go out for a run.
Ugh… I want chocolate,
or do I want none?
Ugh! What’s with my mind?
Why can’t I think?
Can think only of food.
Can do nothing but freak.
No, I can’t have anything.
Got to lose weight.
But come on, it’s delicious
it’s got to be fate.
I know I’m addicted.
Addicted to food,
but I’m also scared of it.
Could that happen too?
Why am I all three?
Why not just one.
Why do I have to starve, binge, and purge?
Why can’t I be none?
(Poem I have done after “beating” the disorder for more than a couple of years. I’m afraid it will always be there waiting for me, but with knowing that I know that each year I just have to get stronger in my mind, with my self image, and with my relationship with myself.)
It lingers
awaiting
awaiting the fall.
Will you give in
and just lose it all?
Will you let all your hard work
suffer in disgrace,
when you pick up the infliction
and lose all your faith?
(A picture of when I was admitted to the hospital. They brought in a dog to try to raise my blood pressure.)
Regaining Lost Aspects: Mind and Soul 