Everybody Knows Somebody

I thought I'd take the time to write a short post about something that's been very prevalent in my life lately. I won't get too much into the personal details but I think it's incredibly important to recognize that this week is National Eating Disorders Awareness (NEDA) week. I follow many blogs of women who talk about the challenges that come with eating disorders and sadly there are tons of men and women who struggle with body image issues and eating disorders.  This year's slogan for NEDA week is, Everybody Knows Somebody. As a college student, I am incredibly aware of the overwhelmingness that comes with being stressed, over worked, over tired and depressed. As if these issues were not enough to deal with on their own, the combination of them can make things really challenging, and often college is the time where many eating disorders are developed. I am in no way an expert, but I know from personal experience and the experience of friends that eating disorders are incredibly common. It really isn't talked about much either and there are many people battling eating disorders on their own without any help or support. 

At our school, the Counseling and Psychological Services department is doing an ongoing program throughout this week to raise awareness about the commonality of eating disorders as well as reach out to those who are struggling. They are tabling on campus, giving out information about how to get help and how to help others who deal with these food issues. They will be doing some film screenings about  society's impact on body image as well as having some discussions about how we can actively raise awareness about eating disorders. 

Again, I am by no means an expert on the subject, but I can say one thing for sure: Eating disorders are not something to be taken lightly and have a huge impact on our emotional and physical health. I didn't even realize I had an eating disorder until I reached out for help. If you are interested in learning more about NEDA and eating disorders in general here is a link to the NEDA page. Also, here and here are some of the blogs that I follow where the women talk about their experiences with body consciousness (as well as many other helpful health and fitness related things). 

It's important to remember that it's not always visible when people are battling an eating disorder and I think NEDA is a great reminder that eating disorders are real. They are real problems that real people must cope with every day and it isn't easy. Just something to think about (I know this post is a little more serious than my usual, but I wanted to take the time to address it!)

Note: This is not a sponsored post, just my own thoughts and feelings on the subject. The photo at the top of the page was taking from the NEDA website.