I began struggling with disordered eating when I was a freshman in high school and since then have struggled on and off, most recently relapsing in 2015. I lost a significant amount of weight in one month and continued to lose weight until I learned I was pregnant. No one noticed I was sick again. That's how easy it is to hide it. Everyone thought I was fine because I "didn't look" like what anorexics are "supposed to look like". I was very thin, but in a society where "thin is beautiful" everyone complimented me on my weight loss instead of noticing that there was a real problem.

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When people ask me what triggered my eating disorder it's hard to pinpoint one specific cause. I'm a perfectionist so when things weren't perfect or I felt as though I wasn't perfect, I would struggle. My grades struggled, my friendships struggled, I remained in a dangerous and unhealthy relationship and graduated late from high school. My eating disorder took over. Only a few knew what was going on, to others I just looked like a teenager acting up. Eating disorders were not talked about much back then. Most people, including my family and even some medical professionals, did not know much about them or understood them. That's where NEDA played a role in my recovery. NEDA's resources helped me get back on track.