Living with mental illness can sometimes feel like it engulfs your entire life. It can consume you and recovery becomes a full-time job. The beauty of recovery, though, is that it is always worth it.
Not to say recovery is always easy, it can be very difficult. It can mean time away from family and friends and facing the root cause of behaviors like eating disorders and self-harm, which can be very uncomfortable at times.
But finding the right practitioner and therapist to work with is key to your success as well as having a supportive group of people around you. And the more those who are suffering from mental illnesses and disordered behaviors speak out and share their own stories and perspectives, the more awareness that can be brought to the subject – making it less taboo and allowing those who are suffering in silence to feel seen and heard.
Amy Kimball is doing just that. She has opened up about her personal experience with bulimia and self-harm and continues to share her recovery journal on social media in order to shed light on the subject and let others who are struggling know that they are not alone, help is possible, recovery is possible and healthier, happier life is possible.
Follow Amy’s journey by following her recovery-focused Instagram page and personal blog here:
Amy’s story in her words:
I developed my mental illnesses and bulimia at age 13 and also started self-harming at that age. I’ve been dealing with chronic SI and attempting suicide ever since then as well.
I think flying all the way across the country from Seattle to Maryland for long-term treatment has been incredibly difficult. I miss my family and pets (specifically my cat) SO freaking much.
I’ve been hospitalized in psychiatric hospitals a LOT and those stays have been very traumatic.
I’ve had a lot of NG tubes in hospitals and treatment and those were very very hard too.
Also, my self-harm has required lots of stitches and staples every time and that’s been painful, not to mention shameful.
I went to my first mental health facility (an inpatient eating disorder facility in Indiana) at 15.
My mom and oldest brother have been really solid support systems throughout my rollercoaster mental health journey. I’ve also had an incredible therapist who I’ve been seeing for a long time now. I started seeing her when I was in an eating disorder residential as a teenager, but then she left and started a private practice so I started seeing her as soon as I could outpatient.
Recovery isn’t a linear journey. There are a lot of ups and downs and the work never truly ends. Even as you reach a recovered state, the practices that got you there will need to become daily habits in order to avoid relapse and continuing any disordered behaviors.
It’s recommended that you find a counselor or therapist that you can work with one-on-one, someone you feel comfortable with and can trust. They will be able to walk you through the recovery process and suggest further treatment.
If you are dedicated to living a full, happy life, all the work you do while in recovery will become a very rewarding experience. And if you feel inclined, you can then share your own journey on social media in order to inspire others.
Amy Kimball is inspiring young people all over the world through the power of social media and making her voice heard on her blog.
You can learn more about Amy and her journey here:
To learn more about holistic healing, including expert perspectives and personal stories from those who have experienced such treatments, follow us on Instagram and Facebook to be a part of our community. We share personal stories and expert advice on all different modalities of holistic healing and overall health and well-being.
If you have a story you’d like to share or an area of expertise in holistic health, email us at hello@hopeandway.com for a chance to be featured on our blog and social media!
