I just need to vent. :/ I've been struggling with anorexia since the age of 11; I'm 28 now. I completed a partial hospitalization program two summers ago before starting graduate school for Speech-Language Pathology. Treatment was great, I was back on track, and my eating disorder was much better.

A few months ago, my disorder started to creep up on me and my weight got lower and lower. I'm now experiencing medical symptoms and side effects and my weight is dangerously low. I have two more semesters left until I graduate and I had just started an externship in a school system when I found out that my family is essentially forcing me to take a medical leave of absence from school in order to enter a residential treatment program for anorexia. I'm devastated. Speech pathology is my life and I feel like it's being taken away from me.

I could always ignore my family's threats to get power of attorney and have me sent to a treatment center, but I know either way I'll end up having to leave school temporarily. So, I've decided to make things easier and agree to give in to my family's demands and take a leave of absence. I'm terrified and angry and feeling so many emotions that I don't even know where to begin. I feel like this is jeopardizing my ability to ever complete graduate school and be successful in life and I just want to cry forever. Does anyone have any advice or words of encouragement? :/

I am sending you a private message now

Hey there. First of all, I think it's wonderful that you're pursuing Speech-Language Pathology. My mom is a professor of Speech-Language Pathology, and I think it's a great thing to be doing 😌

It's awful that you've been struggling like this with your disorder, but it also shows a tremendous amount of strength that you've dealt with this for so long. Your feelings of fear and anger are completely valid, it sucks that you have to put your life on hold to go into a treatment center. However, it's important to take care of yourself, even if it feels shitty at first. I don't know a ton about grad school, but I'm sure you'll be able to more or less pick up where you left off when you return from treatment.

I wish you the best <3

Whaaaat, your mom is an SLP professor? That's so cool! Is she a speech pathologist, too? It's suuuch an interesting subject.

Thank you so much for your kind wishes and lovely words of support. <3 I've definitely sort of come to accept things right now and I talked with my graduate advisors and I'll be able to return to school and continue my externship next Fall, so I'm feeling more hopeful now that I have a plan. I'm sick of all the things that my eating disorder has taken from me and I want to get my health and my life back -- I'm ready to fight!

it's great that you talked with your advisors and figured things out. 😌 you show a lot of determination and strength!

yes, she's both an SLP and an SLP professor :)