The week of February 26 - March 4 was National Eating Disorder Awareness Week and to bring to light the topic of Eating Disorders, I decided to interview a few of my friends and post them here. This will be a series of posts featuring the stories of some of my favorite people. This interview is with my friend Echo.

1. What is your name? Echo.

2. How old are you? 27

3. What type of Eating Disorder did you struggle with? Anorexia and Bulimia.

4. When did your eating disorder begin? 11 years old.

5. Have you ever gone into recovery? Yes.

6. What made you decide to seek recovery? I wanted relief, happiness, balance, normalcy, and inner peace.

7. What have you learned about life through your experience with this ED? I have learned how to be a heartfelt, compassionate person, who understands what it takes to really care for yourself.

8. What gets you through hard times? Soothing, loving, supportive self-talk, music, family, friends, the inspiration my children bring, uplifting books, and my desire to love and be well.

9. What is something you wish people knew about Eating Disorders? That you can get out of them. That they are not who you are.

10. Do you have any advice for anyone who may be struggling with an Eating Disorder? Yes. It's a lot about reprogramming the mind, and being careful with your thoughts and the way you speak to yourself in your head. To change the disordered behavior, you've got to shift the inner world you carry within.

If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, there is hope. I found mine at Mercy Multiplied.