Mind over Matter
Overcoming Eating Disorders

by Brandi Dawson

March 10, 2004

RADFORD-Imagine waking up at 4:45 a.m. every morning to do aerobics. Imagine refusing to eat meals with your family. Imagine being terrified of your own body.

This has been RU student, Kelly Lynn’s, reality for the past few years. Released from the hospital only four weeks ago, Lynn is only starting on her long road to recovery.

Eating disorders afflict nearly eight million Americans, and according to the National Eating Disorders Association, a large number of these people aren’t even aware that they have a problem.

Addressing the illness head on and seeking professional help is the only way to guarantee a full recovery. Lynn, who was binging and purging between five to eight times a day, finally broke down to her mother one night. She knew she needed help. Tired of having a sore throat and painful blisters in her mouth, Lynn finally checked herself into St. Joseph’s Hospital in Baltimore. She wanted the lying and deceiving to end.

“ Going to the hospital terrified me, but it was the only good decision I’ve made in the past two years,” said Lynn.

Her illness reached its peak and got out of control when she moved to Radford from New Jersey, and had no friends. She felt she only thing she could be proud of was her thinness, especially when girls on campus complimented her on her slim figure.

Although she had urges to fight against the treatment in the hospital, she is currently doing much better. Lynn’s counselor, Kirsten Herman said, “She is doing remarkable. She’s not fighting getting better; she’s trying to, and that makes a huge difference.”

Lynn shared her story at a panel discussion on eating disorders held in Heth Hall on February 25. The discussion was organized as part of National Eating Disorders Awareness Week. RU felt that it was necessary to address this issue and try to make students more aware. Lynn, along with Herman and two other panelists shared their own personal experiences with eating disorders with the audience—from both the patient and professional side.

If you or anyone you know may have an eating disorder, you can seek help in the counseling center in the basement of Tyler Hall. For more information and statistics, visit www.NationalEatingDisorders.org.