This is one person’s story; everyone will have unique experiences on their own path to recovery and beyond. Some stories may mention eating disorder thoughts, behaviors, or symptom use. Please use your own discretion. And speak with your therapist when needed.
by Sara Stein, a former Emily Program client. Sara is a therapist and musician from Cleveland, OH.
How It Began
The word “diet” had infiltrated my being at a pre-teen age. For whatever reason, THIS was my Achilles heel in life – this was the thing that was going to reel me in again and again and unfurl all sorts of chaos, havoc, and heartache.
To keep it short and simple, I spent years and decades trying to manage and control my food intake and construct my body to look and be a certain way. There was always this gnawing, annoying thing in the back of my head telling me I wasn’t enough, that I ate the wrong thing, that something bad was going to happen, and that I needed to work harder and do better.