Alumni Testimonials
Hear stories of hope from some of our eating disorder program alumni, and learn more about their recovery journeys at Eating Recovery Center.
It’s been amazing to watch Stephanie go from struggling with an eating disorder to a thriving wife, mom and nurse. I am always proud of you and love you forever.
Chelsea, Partner of Stephanie J.
Human Connection is Healing:
My transformation seemed sudden, though I know it wasn't. One day it felt like there was a light that turned on and hope flooded in. I cannot pinpoint a moment in treatment that 'worked', but I knew I was changed.
The one thing i know for certain is that I am so thankful for the people in my life that believed in me. If it weren't for them, I would not be here, or be the person I am today. Connection is healing. Love is uplifting. I do not have a perfect life, there are struggles and sadness, but I am able to get through it without using Anorexia to manage. I have joy and peace in my life. I am so blessed.
I had an active Eating Disorder for fourteen years, and I was a “revolving door” treatment client for most of those years.
-Lindsay Holifield
I honestly thought I was fated to either live in the misery of a relapse or exist in the clinical walls of a treatment facility. I wanted out, but I found that the harder I tried to berate myself into recovery, the more I would spiral into self-destructive behaviors. I will never forget a therapist telling me, “Lindsay, you cannot yell yourself into recovery,” by which she meant that the only way out of this cycle is self-compassion. I knew that yelling at myself to Stop Doing the Unhealthy Thing wasn’t working, but it took me a long time to really begin to implement self-compassion. It felt counter-intuitive at first, but when I began to approach myself compassionately (what author Aundi Kolber calls, “trying softer”), I began to find my way out of the depths of the struggle. It wasn’t a magical overnight cure, but I began to take steps towards the light. Now, I can confidently say that I am living in recovery and that hope exists to find your way out of the struggle, even if the struggle has been a long one.