You’ll need to go through your journey to get there yourself, but I know you are holding onto a thread of hope that one day you will be okay. Okay is correct, but it won’t come in the form you think okay means right now.

It’s hard to see something like that and not feel worse at the thought that this might not be the case with your own illness. As much as I hate to admit it, it makes me feel awful, even jealous, when I see stories about people who have suffered from depression at one point in their lives but no longer qualify for the diagnosis. The people who seemingly “beat it,” so to speak.

I want every little girl to know how horrible binging and purging truly feels. There is nothing sexy or glorious about emptying the contents of your stomach. Our bodies are not built to do it and fight every step of the way to try to get us to stop. Unfortunately, it takes the mind some time to catch up with the body.

The truth about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is that no definition of it excludes anyone from experiencing it. Even the US Government Department of Veteran Affairs has chosen to simply post the definition directly from the DSM-V without any sort of asterisk or simplification for those not serving in the military. No one is shielded and even indirect trauma (such as simply hearing about a loved one being hurt) can cause its onset.

Due to the chronic nature of my illnesses, I have seen many doctors. Over time, I have learned what kind of care works best for me. I am not here to admonish any one specialty, but rather celebrate those doctors that stand above the rest, to provide great care and fulfill their Hippocratic oath thoroughly.

To help you wade through and shorten the process of finding the right care for you, I have put together a helpful list of what to avoid and what to embrace in a doctor.