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QUESTION: I find it amazing that you recovered on your own. Just why is it that you never sought professional treatment? ANSWER: Well, the primary reason why I never sought professional treatment was because, back when I first became sick, no one talked about eating disorders. For the first seven years of my illness, both my family and I honestly thought that whatever appeared to be wrong with me was ‘just me’. In fact, the entire reason I started Key to Life was because I knew that, for me, recovery hinged on finding at least one person with the courage and willingness to look me in the eye and say, ‘Hey, it’s not just you. This is a DISEASE. You CAN overcome this!’ I actually had a mentor who showed up in my life in the eighth year of my struggle with anorexia (and first year of my struggle with bulimia), and while she didn’t know much about eating disorders, she did know that it wasn’t my fault that I wasn’t able to fix something I didn’t even have a name for. She would talk to me, listen to me, and cook for me. She encouraged me to attend a local support group and seek some form of talk therapy, which in time I did. But I never knew there were inpatient treatment facilities, or counselors who were trained specifically to work with people who had eating disorders. I am so grateful for all the information that is circulating today so that others don’t have to recover the way I did – the ‘do-it-yourself-and-hope-it-works’ way! HOWEVER, in my own mentoring and recovery coaching work with women who are working their way through recovery, my total focus is on bringing control of the recovery journey, pace and progress INSIDE each person, which is where it belongs and the only place it can ever be found anyway. I believe that when we are honest with ourselves, then we will know better than anyone else - even the most educated and insightful of treatment professionals - what we need to do next for our own recovery work. And precisely because of my unique recovery story, I also firmly believe that if I could heal, with as little support and information as I had access to, that anyone who wants to recover badly enough can heal too. While it can be extremely beneficial to have a strong, wise and motivational treatment team with you during the recovery journey, the lack thereof is not an excuse or a reason that recovery is out of reach. It may take longer, be more difficult, and look different during the process, but with enough determination, courage and perseverance, the result can and will be exactly the same. So the bottom line is – if you have the blessing of access to medical care and in- or out-patient treatment, by all means take advantage of it! But if you don’t have those options, don’t let it stop you. Remember – if I could do it, anyone can – and that means YOU TOO! Much love, Shannon Do you have a related question you would like to submit for future editions of Good News? Would you like to send a message of encouragement and support to the person who asked this question? (NOTE: all messages of support will be received and published anonymously in future editions of Good News) If you would like to submit a question or send a message of support please send it to Shannon c/o Good News HERE |