I’m telling my story in the hopes that people can begin to realize that eating disorders and mental disorders can affect everyone. What I am doing is something that has scared me for a long time, but I feel like it is something I need to do.

I was a one, like so many today, with a body image distortion. And I could have ended up with Diabulimia, a condition affecting more and more young women and girls with type 1 or insulin dependent diabetes.

If you have an eating disorder, or notice destructive behavior in yourself, know that with love, we will slowly stop hurting ourselves, and begin to enlist our highest selves in our healing.

Language is important. Our actions follow our thoughts. Your first step to healthy living may well be to simply listen to your words, the phrases that you spin and then, if need be, stop and rewrite them.

Eating disorders and disordered eating are commonly experienced by female athletes, but are unfortunately sorely under recognized by coaches, teachers, parents, therapists and physicians.