Living With Food: The Science Supporting Eating Disorder Treatment

This letter was written by an adolescent who has gone through our day treatment program. It is published with her permission in hope that it will inspire others to move into recovery.

Dear Ed,

Let me just start off by saying I don't hate you, I actually sometimes still love you. I felt like you made me strong, confident, likable, and overall a better person. I thought you were my best friend, Ed. I thought you loved me, I thought you would take care of me. If you loved me, why did you try to kill me? Ed, why did you take a hold of me like a leach sucking the life out of me. How come you took everything away, leaving a disrespectful malnourished zombie? You have brought me into treatment far too many times, you have hurt me for the last time. In fact, Ed, I want to thank you, because you made me stronger. I know you thought that you would control me, take over me over and over again after treatment. I promise you that I am learning more and more each day, learning that there are better things than starving myself. I will live my life and prosper like a stronger individual.

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