National Eating Disorders Awareness Week: It’s Time To Talk

We interrupt my series “A-Z Of Reasons To Recover” to fully exploit the opportunities that NEDA and b-eat’s establishment of the annual National Eating Disorder Awareness Week has served us up and to spread a short, simple but powerful message. Running this year from 22-28 February, I have found the internet bombarded with messages in support of recovering from all brands of eating disorders, from anorexia nervosa to bulimia to binge eating disorder. This is a fantastic mechanism which works to promote the idea that you are not alone. No-one is alone in this fight against a massive evil. And NEDA and b-eat make it their mission to ensure that all ED warriors are aware of this. That is why it was my pleasure to brand my body with their symbol of recovery in December 2015…

Okay, so I added a bit to the simple symbol…but it’s my body so hey-ho, do what I want.

Having this on my stomach reminds me of my bravery. It reminds me that I am fighting the greatest war of all, the war against the self, and I deserve to come out on top. I deserve to feed my body. I deserve life. We all do. Be brave. Make the first step to recovery. It isn’t easy (in fact, it’s the most difficult thing I have ever done) but I have faith that in the end it will be beautiful.

My heart is torn on the issue of National Eating Disorders Awareness Week. It angers me that we need to dedicate time to speaking out about an issue which pollutes our society so deftly. Having a dedicated week suggests that the other 51 weeks of the year are spent in silence, this cruel monster given the rest of the year to slowly but surely kill off any poor soul that falls under its captivating but fatal spell. This should not be the case. I encourage all ED warriors to speak out all the time, no matter what. Scream it from the rooftops. Shout it from the mountain. Heck, stop a random individual in the street and tell them your story. People need to know. The world needs to know. Your voice, your words could save a life.

It is time to educate. It is time to inform. I am sick and tired of having to explain to people my condition, how it affects me daily, how it will continue to affect me for the rest of my life. We need to destroy the stigma, dispel the illusions, kill the myths and legends about eating disorders. The truth needs to be revealed. And we have the power to do that. I only hope that the internet popularity of National Eating Disorders Awareness Week is not just a fad which will be forgotten about as soon as Monday morning arrives on our doorsteps. Don’t let it be a fleeting shadow. Let this week be a spark which ignites a flame to burn an entire lifetime. It is time to kill eating disorders once and for all.

Thank you.

-Niamhy xx