In light of the fact that this is National Recovery Month I wanted to share a little of my story and how I get to live an amazing life.
My recovery journey began on October 28, 2012. It really started way before that but this is when it really started to matter. I decided I'd had enough of my eating disorder after nearly 30 yrs with it running my life and I wanted a life worth living. I was put in contact with an amazing woman that also gave me hope that I could actually find recovery. She was my first sponsor and is now a treasured friend that helped me change my life and find my passion again.
Initially my motivation to find recovery was to join the CRC. I wanted that sense of community, the support and the camaraderie that everyone had. By the grace of my Higher Power and the help of many others I was able to meet the requirements to join. Unbeknownst to me that one decision and desire would be the key to giving me a purpose in life other than self-destructing.
That purpose is to help others working towards recovery from eating disorders. Currently I work as a house manager in a transitional living home for women recovering from eating disorders. Being able to wake up every day and be of service to my residents as well as being able to offer strength, hope and experience is the biggest blessing. Each day I am amazed by the life I get to live and the way I get to be a part of the recovery process for others. I get to watch my residents grow and blossom and take risks. I've cried with them and laughed with them (lots of laughing) and talked them through their fears.
Many years ago I wanted to be a therapist in the eating disorder community but gave up that dream because I didn't think I could find true recovery in order to do it. Today I get the privilege of working in the field while pursuing a new dream of bringing therapeutic cooking to eating disorder treatment. It's been fun incorporating this into my house manager duties and watching my house take more food risks as we plan "family" dinners. Everyone chips in and the camaraderie has been amazing. The desire to push through fears in regards to fear foods has been strengthened in my residents as they get more involved in meal planning and cooking.
The beauty of all of this is that when I first started this phase of my recovery I could not even dream or hope that I would have the life I have today. My world seemed to be falling apart but I know now that it was falling into place.
Contributed by K.M.
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