Posts Tagged “Guest Bloggers”

This is one person’s story; everyone will have unique experiences on their own path to recovery and beyond. Some stories may mention eating disorder thoughts, behaviors, or symptom use. Please use your own discretion. And speak with your therapist when needed.

By Cami Applequist, a former TEP client and woman in recovery

In the midst of eating disorder treatment, it is really easy to feel like everything sucks – and that it all sucks really bad. Building an entirely new relationship with food isn’t easy and it involves developing new relationships with family, friends, and the way in which we see the world. So it doesn’t just feel like it sucks, it does suck. And it sort of has to suck – because eating disorders suck and all the reasons they exist suck. But know that it is entirely possible to survive all of the suckiness.

This is one person’s story; everyone will have unique experiences on their own path to recovery and beyond. Some stories may mention eating disorder thoughts, behaviors, or symptom use. Please use your own discretion. And speak with your therapist when needed.

By Cami Applequist, a former client in recovery

Most people who know me will tell you that I’m funny. I have always been funny. I always assumed I was funny because that was my role as the fat person in the group.

Now I know that I am funny simply because I am funny. And also because I have had a lot of training. In the process of therapy and recovery, I discovered that I used humor and laughter to disguise difficult emotions.

By Wendy Blackshaw, a woman in recovery

A couple of months ago I read an email that made me weepy. It was from a Minneapolis yoga instructor who saw one of our Emily Program billboards that says “Ever Beaten Yourself Up with a Donut”? She was writing to thank us because it captured where she had once been – struggling with an eating disorder – but it also captured where she is now – healthy, whole, and in a recovery where donuts are eaten. I love these stories. Because it is my story.

By Cami Applequist, a former client in recovery

I struggled with both an eating disorder and depression for several years of my life. Over the past few years I have been living a life free from both. I am very grateful for every person who stepped in to give me a hand along the way and for every single thing I picked up that helped me realize that this life of happiness is possible.

By Katie Teresi

Think, for a moment, about who or what is beautiful to you. It could be people, places, things…

Now here’s a challenge: If you eliminated every beautiful thing you thought of that was based on sight, how many things would be left?

Re-posted from Cleveland Center for Eating Disorders (CCED) blog archives. CCED and The Emily Program partnered in 2014.

This haiku was written by a former CCED client. He shares it in hopes that it will inspire others.