TW: Eating disorders and sexual assault
Opening up about my story as a survivor of sexual assault living with an eating disorder was an impulsive decision for me. It wasn’t really something that I felt I had to work up the courage to do. I think I just had finally reached a point where I couldn’t keep anything a secret anymore and it was becoming too much. I wasn’t originally aware of the differences I could make with my experiences, but being open about my story has done more for me than I could have ever imagined.
I started by telling those who were close to me; my friends, my mother, and most of the people I surround myself with. A lot of them had no idea, which made a lot of sense to me at the time because I was not comfortable with people knowing. At this point, I was seeking out help that I was not ready to ask for before, and I feel this is the moment that defined everything.
As time went on, I began receiving more support from people around me. Something I did not expect, however, was the support I would soon be able to give to others…all because I decided to share my story. I was able to help one of my closest friends and we became each others’ support system. In realizing how much my story helped my friend, I wondered how many others I could help if I shared my story even more. I started posting social media posts, started writing articles and blogs about my experiences, and tried to talk about it in any conversation that was relevant. This was so hard to do but was really a game changer for me. By sharing my story, I was not only connecting with others who were experiencing similar things, but I was also forced to be honest with myself and my eating disorder. By sharing my story, I could begin to recover in knowing that my story was helping others recover as well.
I’m not saying that you should share your story if you are not comfortable in doing so, but just know it can be freeing in ways unimaginable. Talk about the things we don’t talk about. Break the stigma.