Hannah’s Recovery Story
“Hi, my name is Hannah and I’ve been treatment-free for almost 2 years. These 2 years have been the hardest but most rewarding time of my life. I was first admitted to Boston Children’s Hospital in January 2021 and then was admitted to Walden Behavioral Care for over a month. I was home for about 6 months then I was admitted to Walden’s inpatient unit in December 2021 where I was there for almost 5 months. I had no hope for my future. I thought I would always be in and out of treatment. That was not true. I have remained treatment-free since then. I met some of my best friends and most inspiring people during that time. Recovery may seem impossible at times but it is the best thing I have ever done. I have grown and learned so much as a person and in eating disorder recovery. I have learned that recovery is not going to be linear and you will have up and down moments but that does not mean you are not capable of recovery. Your eating disorder does not define you and you can live a life outside of it. I have been living my life to the fullest since getting out of treatment. I’ve been to prom, I graduated high school, became a manager at my job and I’ve even been on vacations where I was not worried about how I looked or what I was eating. My life has been so much better since not having it revolve around my eating disorder. When I was first admitted to the hospital my mom and I made a promise to each other that when I was in a stable place in my recovery we would get matching recovery tattoos. I got to fulfill my promise to my mom and got tattoos just a couple of days before my 18th birthday and during Neda week. It reminds me daily of how strong I am and how I can get through any obstacles in my life. It tells me how I am beautiful and worthy. And you are too. You just need to keep reminding yourself that you can do hard things and you are worthy of recovery. I am so proud of everyone for battling an eating disorder. You are so strong and so worthy of recovery. I am forever grateful that I did not let my eating disorder define me.”
@hannahhcahill
