Though each individual's experience is different from others', for anyone who does, living with an eating disorder is difficult. It's like there's this creature sitting in the corner of your room, taunting you. When hunger kicks in, its voice gets louder in your ear, either telling you how fat you are, or about how fat you could get if you indulge. Food consumes (no pun intended) your thoughts 24/7, and in some cases, so do caloric counts.
I have lived with an eating disorder, on and off, for 10+ years. A common misconception about them is that there are only two disorders- anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. The truth is, there are many different types, some undefined or unnamed. Dealing with it is just as grueling as dealing with any other mental illness. Therapists, nutritionists, counselors, and your own willpower, play a major role in recovering, and sometimes those are not even successful.
However, the struggle may become more prominent when on social media. Platforms like Instagram, Snapchat, and even Facebook, allow others to share pictures of their aesthetically pleasing meals. For those of us who suffer with eating disorders, that elusive voice suddenly starts screaming at us to turn it off! X out that tab! Being surrounded by beautiful photos of colorful, interesting, no doubt high in calories food is the last thing we need. Then, counter that with the selfies that our beautiful, fit, healthy friends post to Instagram, and those of us with hypheragia are once again reminded how fat we (think we) are, to stop staring at the foodporn, and not cave into our appetites. It's obviously not a healthy lifestyle, and being reminded of it on social media isn't helpful either.
According to the National Eating Disorder Association, around 25 percent of college students suffer from eating disorders. 25 percent. That is a remarkably high number, and add to that the stresses of homework and extracurricular activities, it's a wonder that not all students collapse from anxiety. And fortunate that that percentage is not even higher.
If you suffer with an eating disorder, call the NEDA Helpline toll free at 1-800-931-2237 from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. EST Monday-Thursday, and Friday from 9 a.m.to 5 p.m. EST. Stay strong, you can beat this.
