Short post on Eating Disorder Awareness

I watched Matt Ryd's Eating Disorder Awareness video this morning and several things struck me. Watch it, it's beautiful and powerful. He brought ED awareness to me, someone who's had an eating disorder for 11 years. I am sorry to say we lost this powerful voice last week. Donations are being made in his name to NEDA and ANAD.

First of all, he had a quote that was powerful to me... "What?! I thought eating disorders were a teenage girl's disease." This hit home with me, because I'm 25 and still struggling with something I've been fighting since I was 8. Even in the last few weeks I've been thinking, "Geez, why haven't I outgrown this yet? Isn't this a teenage girl's disease?" I have to keep reminding myself, as Matt Ryd reminded me, eating disorders strike all age groups, all races, all genders, and all sexual orientations. That I'm not out of line in my struggles. That anyone can be struggling with an eating disorder and I am not alone. I have to remind myself the same thing with depression. I keep thinking to myself lately, "I feel like a melodramatic teenager. Shouldn't I have outgrown this by now?" Matt's video reminded me that depression can affect anyone, not just melodramatic teenagers. He reminded me that what I'm feeling is real, and validated my emotions and mood swings. 
Even for someone who's struggled for most of their life, it takes a powerful, brave hero like Matt to stand up and remind me that I am not struggling alone. I am not alone in recovery. His quote, "You know someone with an eating disorder," was powerful to me, because I am not public about having an eating disorder. I often wonder how many people I could impact if I was public about my struggles and about my recovery process. Matt was brave, a hero, and an inspiration to continue on my road to recovery. Rest in peace.