College is filled with fun, new opportunities that we are all open to try. A new way of life, a new set of friends and new experiences await us as soon as we are accepted into the college of our choice.

For me, it was never that simple.

Coming into college with a preexisting mental disorder, I never felt that I had the same opportunities as others. My anxiety coupled with body image issues held me back in such a way that I felt that I could never be the same as my peers when it came to being social.

Living in the dorms didn’t help much either.

Having shared bathrooms with not only the girls on my floor, but also the guys also made my mind race. Walking into the bathroom with a boy my age without his shirt just getting out of the shower always made me feel uncomfortable, but for my roommate and everyone else I knew, it was never a problem.

I always compare my body to other people, may it be male or female. I can go to the cafeteria on campus and take a lap around it, and if I see someone who has a naturally small physique, I will put my tray down and walk back to my dorm wondering why I’m not like that.

On top of being easily influenced by others physical appearances, I'm also influenced by my own mind. Some days I won’t even go to my classes. I'll feel so uncomfortable in a class that I can’t focus. I'm so aware of my body it eats away at me.

There is a sense of shame and embarrassment when it comes to having an eating disorder, and living with one in such closed quarters in a dorm, there are instances where you can’t really downplay what’s happening.

For example, I was in the middle of 6,000-calorie binge -- wrappers, plates and utensils all over my bed surrounding me -- and just as my mouth was stuffed with food, my roommate walked in. I could tell she really didn’t understand what was happening, but knew it wasn’t normal, and we just exchanged awkward hellos and she sat down and minded our own business.

A few weeks later, I was in the middle of a purge cycle in one of the bathroom stalls when a girl who lived a few doors dorm from me walked in. She obviously couldn’t see me or what I was doing, but she definitely heard, because she left, and a few moments after she left, I came out of the stall just as she was coming back in with her friend. She said a weak hello to me, and I smiled and walked on. Maybe I was being paranoid but I assume she brought the friend to confirm what I was doing.

The reason I’m sharing my story is because I know I’m not alone. People in college are in similar situations as me -- maybe even people in my own dorm hall. I want my audience to know that there are others who struggle to get dressed in the morning, or who struggle to look at themselves in the mirror without feeling that sense of panic.

Day to day, there are people like you out there, and I just want to let these people know that I am proud of them for the little accomplishments they make everyday. Recovery is just a stepping stone away.