Meggs M
Admin/Moderator
Posts: 27
(3/3/04 7:34 am)
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Introducing Meggs - a bit about me!
Welcome to Friend of Ana!!!
My name is Megan and I am a 30 year old Operations Manager from Sydney, Australia. I have not ever suffered from an eating disorder or anything like that, but I have been a professional dancer so a) I've had quite a few friends over the years who have and b) I know the pressures society can place on young women to look "perfect" (if there ever was such a thing!!).
Anyway, a few years ago I met a new friend who has suffered very badly over many years from a combination of anorexia, bulimia, and more recently, self harm. She confided in me after many years of keeping it all hidden and I helped her seek professional help and take the beginning steps she needs to reclaim her life. It has taken me a long time to understand many of the issues surrounding ED's, and to be able to better cope with my friend's situation. Of course you might say it's easier to walk away at times, (and there have been times when I've been SO frustrated that it might have been an option), but she is a great, fun, caring friend, so I've had to learn to separate the person from the ED in many ways...
Anyway, I guess this board was really started for a number of reasons. Maybe I thought by sharing my experiences I could help others who are going through similar things with their family and loved ones, or maybe I just thought it would be a big relief for family and friends to have a place where they could share their own confusion/frustration/concerns etc and get some support and maybe a little bit of friendly advice...
I would say that this board is a board for loved ones of those who want to recover...the sad news is that there are many people who do not want to recover and quite honestly, apart from locking them up or trying to talk to them there is often not much you can do. The most important thing I suppose is trying to get people who suffer from these disorders to seek and get professional help. We are friends and/or family...we cannot ultimately play the role of therapist too, not should we try to. I know I have said to my friend before that our friendship needs to be about MORE than me being a shoulder to lean on - I want to be her friend, not her therapist. That being said though, friends listen to each others problems and fears and I will always be available to do that.
So feel free to post anything you like here - any concerns or confusions or advice for others...remember we are all going through this together!!!
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