“I have struggled with an eating disorder for more than half of my life. My story is like that of many others: years of treatment, multiple hospitalizations, threatening heart conditions, and, most of all, a constant state of self-loathing. Not many people know this, but anorexia has the highest mortality rate of any mental disorder, and is far too often deadly. I know about this all too well. During my last hospitalization, my doctor told me that if I hadn’t been admitted to the ER, within 6 days I would have died. You would think this would shock and scare me half to death (no pun intended), right? Nope. My eating disorder continued to control me, and all I worried about was how many calories I was getting through my feeding tube. The only thing I cared about was being thin, and I let food completely control my life. That was only five months ago, and it’s crazy to think how much can change in so little time. I’m happy to report that I graduated from treatment almost 3 weeks ago and am fighting for my recovery every day. I’m incredibly grateful that I get to share my story and help others to start on their recovery journey also. Always remember that you are more than your ED.” @shae.taylor