What someone with Binge Eating Disorder really looks like?
February 23rd – March 1st is designated as Eating Disorders Awareness week. For the first time in my life, I am working to get in charge of my eating, so that I am no longer following in the shadow of my disorder.
I’ve shared with you over the last few months my struggles with Binge Eating Disorder (You can read them all here.) It is something that I have defined my life by for years. I never had a name for it, but I knew the struggle. Every single day would begin with a thought about when the next time I was going to get fast food (since that was my fancy) would be. Literally, my alarm would go off, I’d roll out of bed and start thinking about food. It has consumed my life!
I am not healed, but I have begun the healing process (more to come on this in future posts). In an effort to grow the parts of me that are NOT food related, I thought I’d dedicate this post to talking about my identity that does not involve food.
So what DOES someone with Binge Eating Disorder look like anyway?
- I am a loving wife, mother, daughter, sister and aunt.
- I have an amazing sense of humor, and can laugh at even the dirtiest of jokes.
- I love having friends, but am terrible at keeping ties with everyone. I do my best!
- I adore making jewelry, and miss making it (It’s been since Emmett’s birth since I’ve created).
- I am a supervisor at a health insurance company, and proud of my job. I am slowly but surely learning my way.
- I love comfy jammies, soft blankets and weekends curled on the couch.
- I swoon over the way Emmett says the word cuddle – “duddle” – and the fact that he enjoys partaking in my cuddles so much.
- I love reading AND writing. My reading list is never ending, as is my list of topics to write about.
- I love getting up early, but I wouldn’t consider myself a morning person, because I also enjoy staying up late.
- Coffee is often the first thing I sip in the mornings.
- The feeling of working hard and accomplishing a goal I set for myself, gives me the ultimate feeling of satisfaction.
- I want 4 kids simply because I loved growing up in a big family, but realize I will likely have less.
- I have an amazing support system, in my husband, family and very close friends.
- I’ve suffered with depression off and on for most of my adult life, but I am working hard to overcome the struggles.
- I am right handed, my eyes are a beautiful blue-green hazel and my hair is naturally blonde (with some highlights added in).
- I trust too swiftly and fully, so that when I am crossed I fall hard.
- My middle name is Therese and I love love love it!
- I love the feeling of my body when it is sore from a tough workout, but have such a hard time motivating myself to get out the door.
- And finally, I am a woman who is on a journey of a lifetime.
Those are not in any particular order, but I would say that’s a pretty cumulative list of who I am as a person outside of my disease. I created this list, so that you, my lovely readers would know me better, but also so that I have it to refer to when the going gets tough.
As always, thank you for reading – your support and encouraging words has been so so helpful in my quest.
