A Dancer's Struggle

     I remember being on stage and telling myself to push through and that I am fine. That was a total lie. It was recital weekend and we were performing multiple shows a day. I was dancing throughout most of the production. I was in my eating disorder and I had barely eaten anything at all that week. On the days we had recital I went all day only eating an apple. I wouldn’t eat any other food those days until after I was done dancing. When the shows were over I would go home to eat dinner, the first real food I had eaten all day. It was 9:30 at night. Dinner would take me so long to eat because I would savor that food because I knew I wouldn’t let myself have another meal until the next night. My stomach was so small that I couldn’t even take in much food without getting full. These days were some of the darkest because I felt like passing out every show and didn’t tell anyone. At that point it was mind over matter I definitely could have passed out, but I kept pushing. ...

  Daily pay of $2,295 just to get better. An out of pocket intensive outpatient treatment plan will cost somebody over $2,000 everyday. Statistics show that eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness. The vast majority of individuals who suffer from mental illnesses such as eating disorders aren’t getting treatment because of the high price. An estimated 30 million people in the United States suffer from an eating disorder, and with the healthcare system that is implemented in the United States, only 1 in 10 people are seeking the help they need. (South Carolina Department of Mental Health).Health care in treatment for people who suffer from mental illness such as an eating disorder should be little to no cost, because eating disorders kill as cancer. A right to health care could save a person’s life. A study from Harvard shows that, “lack of health insurance is associated with as many as 44,789 deaths per year” (Shmerling, Robert H, M. D.) This interpre...

      This is my story about my time with ED. I wanted to share my experience with others to encourage people and help raise awareness for this mental health disorder. My battle started in November of 2019. I had just moved to Wisconsin and had started a new school and dance program. I remember the date, November 1st, I had my first office visit with my new doctor. Everything was fine, it was just as any other appointment would go. Towards the end of my visit, she asked my dad to step out of the room. My doctor then proceeded to tell me," I know its fun in Wisconsin, but slow down on the brats and cheese curds." She continued to say how I was overweight. After that appointment, I never told anyone what she said because it hadn't effected me yet. Fast forward to March of 2020, the coronavirus hit. My school had shut down and my dance studio. There was nothing for me to control in my life because I didn't know what was going to happen next. My mind then starts to ...