Growing up, you learned that it’s not okay to be yourself. Cultural messages of the so-called “ideal woman” permeated every facet of your life. You were told to cater to everyone and appear perfect even if you were hurting. This meant you had to be thin, conventionally attractive, and always calm and collected, as the “ideal woman” is an effortless endeavor. So, you wore makeup and certain clothes to look “pretty,” because you believed your appearance defined your social worth.
Read MoreMy name is Jacalyn Kai Webster, and I had an eating disorder for 8 years. I've been a leader, a teacher, a performer, a musician, a writer, an artist, a world traveler, a mentor, a recipe developer, and a blogger—all while another part of me only knew life as an anorexic and later on, a bulimic.
Read MoreI want to tell her about her sorority. I want to tell her not to lock herself in her room and cry and starve herself. I want to tell her to hold out hope. But for a year of my life I had no hope. In light of the recent “Beta Delta” letter, I can’t help but be pulled back into that dark place.
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