Encountering Insensitivity

Happy Sunday!

I hope everyone had an okay week. I spent it at multiple therapy sessions, ran, watched some scary movies of course, and did homework. I went to Defy Gravity with my friend Alex, and passed out candy to the kids in my neighborhood. I started back into my Dialectical Behavior Therapy group, (DBT) which has helped me immensely with suicidal thoughts and self harm. To be honest, I have been feeling kind of down lately, dealing with some bad memories, worries, and a general feeling of being alone.

There is one thing that has really has bugged me since I saw it Tuesday. I was scrolling through Facebook, when I saw that a Halloween costume called “Anna Rexia” was being sold at a certain store. I don’t think I have been that angry and disgusted in a very long time. So, after some research on how to contact the store, I decided to give them a call. Let’s just say the call wasn't what I hoped, and was rather confusing and awkward. They ended up telling me that they were a chain store, and were not the ones who sold the costume. I was not about to give up on this, so I kept on looking. Finally, I found the culprit. I was positive that this place sold it, so I rang them up. No answer. I called again. Still no answer. I left them a message and decided to send them a “kind” email instead. Here is what I sent them:

Hi, I'm Isabel. I am 17 years old and I am currently 108 days in recovery from anorexia. I saw a costume that I found really offensive called “Anna Rexia” that was sold in your stores and I want to tell you how disgusted I am with your store. Anorexia is no joke. Anorexia is a life threatening disease, not some Halloween costume that you go prancing around in. Eating disorders are the number one cause of death of any mental illness, and can also cause those who have it to take their own life. Trust me, I've been through that too. I just wanted to make that clear and tell you that selling that costume is disgraceful. Your store is revolting.

So I still haven’t heard back from them, and I probably won’t, but it felt good to tell them off. Anorexia is serious, and people think it is a decision and can be fixed if you just eat. But it’s much more difficult than that. Anorexia is both a mental and physical illness and should not be taken lightly or as a horrible joke. I was told that my body was going to start to shut down. I saw my own mother cry as she was told that my liver would fail. I would not wish anorexia on my worst enemy, because no one deserves it. I want to become an advocate for mental health, and I will do anything I can to stop the stigma.

I hope everyone has a great week.

Stay Strong