Helping others recover

Without a doubt, the thing I love most about having a blog is getting the chance to help others suffering from Anorexia. Ever since developing anorexia, I have been horrified by the lack of professional support there is out there for people suffering from anorexia. I think the main problem is that such little is known about anorexia and other eating disorders, that many doctors simply do not know how to help sufferers. 

When I went to hospital, the staff got me to gain weight but did not help me with my actual anorexia at all. The only reason I ate was because the staff basically threatened my anorexia with more calories if I refused. The 6 weeks I spent in hospital therefore served as my planning time for how I would lose the weight again, when I got out of hospital, which is exactly what I did. 

Ever since I have tried to get help from psychiatrists, psychologists and other 'specialists' but none of them have been able to help me at all. None if them could offer recovery advice or even give me any kind of hope that recovery was even possible. I honestly felt as though I was much more knowledgable about eating disorders then the people who I have been reffered to, so decided I was wasting my time by seeing them.

One psychiatrist even told me there was no point in going to see her, if I wasn't 'willing to try.' The problem was never that I was unwilling to try, but more that I had no idea how. People were telling me that I needed to get better, but they werent offering me any advice at all about how I actually could do that. 

So ever since getting sick, I have felt very unsupported and this has only made me want to help other sufferers who are going through what I have been through and who have felt the complete desperation I have felt. While I hoped I could help others through my blog, I had no idea just how much I would be able to help others. 

Since starting to blog, I have gotten comments like;

'Thank you, thank you! I wouldn't/couldn't be doing this without you!'

'Karly you have no idea how much easier recovery has been for me since I found your blog. Your posts and your emails have been a life saver, really.'

'This post has been so helpful, Thank you :)'

'You are such an inspiration for everyone recovering......If you can do it, I can do it.'

'Thankyou so much Karly'

'You continue to inspire and motivate me everyday'

You will never know just what these types of comments mean to me. I feel like crying everytime I read something like this as I feel ao overwhelmingly happy that I am making a positive difference to peoples lives. Comments like these have now become my main motivation for my own recovery, as I have realised that people are relying on the strength and determination I demonstrate in my own recovery, to help them in theirs.

Everytime I feel as though things are too hard, I think of these kinds of comments and remember that I cant give up. I need to keep recovering and fighting, not only for myself but also for all of the people out there who believe in me. I feel as though my blog has given my life more purpose and that is only thanks to all of the wonderful people who read it, so thank you. You all say that I help you in your recoveries but you help me too, more then you will ever know.