Do you see that girl on the left? She’s around eleven years old and extremely insecure. She has been teased, called fat, ugly, pale, and deemed unworthy of attention … And she believes it. Little do her tormentors know she is already battling an eating disorder, depression, abuse, self-harm, and is suicidal. She cries when she’s alone not understanding why she can’t be like her beautiful friends. The ones the boys flirt with and don’t call names. I wish I could save this little girl. I wish I could tell her, promise her, it will all get better. That people can be cruel and break us down, because they feel empty inside too. People are hurtful because they’re afraid and want to fit in too. Doesn’t mean it won’t hurt when it’s aimed at you, but you will grow stronger with time. I wish I could protect this little girl from herself and from the evil world who will try to destroy her. She will survive; the bullying, overdoses/drugs/alcohol, suicide attempts, sexual abuse, physical abuse, her eating disorder and life. She has seen the darkness and she will see light. She will be loved and she will fight like hell to find the peace she has been looking for all her life. That little girl is me, and I am her. I am nowhere near free from my past and the pain I’ve endured, but I am alive. I am taking it one day at a time. I am sober. I am recovering. And I will share my story to let others know they’re not alone. Life is worth living, I promise. Ariel Alum Rosewood Centers For Eating Disorders
