Gabrielle F Gabrielle's Patient Story

"Hi, my name is anorexia and I have been dealing with Gabrielle for almost 22 years."

Hi, my name is anorexia and I have been dealing with Gabrielle for almost 22 years. Have you ever felt that way? Where you no longer are able to know yourself in the depths of your eating disorder? Trust me; you are not alone. Having an eating disorder can feel very lonely. Some people just don't understand what eating disorders are. Some people do understand but don't know how to help while others might isolate themselves from you because they can't handle what you're going through. Whether you are a first timer or have been in and out of eating disorder facilities multiple times, there is hope for recovery.

The Robert Wood Johnson Somerset Eating Disorders Program has changed my life. You may have ambivalence about going for treatment and you might not want to give up your eating disorder. I'm sure you could come up with 50 million reasons why you shouldn't receive help but the staff here challenges your thoughts and they help you differentiate your thoughts from those of your eating disorder. The staff is very dedicated and can help you.

The groups are extremely beneficial. For example, the dialectical behavior therapy group helped me to change my thinking and actions. The groups helped me to get in touch with my feelings so I could break the cycle. This allowed me to focus on the underlying issues that started the eating disorder in the first place.

At Somerset you get therapy every day, family therapy one to two times per week and a multi-family group on Wednesdays where patients interact with members of different families, teaching them about the illness. You'll find this very helpful and slowly with your support system and your perseverance you can find happiness and peace within yourself. You can find recovery even if it really sounds scary.

I'm not trying to make this recovery process sound like sunshine and rainbows! Trust me I know! It will probably hurt like hell. But it's worth it to win back your life. You don't have to suffer with this illness forever! You don't have to be a statistic and this doesn't have to be a death sentence.

A friend once told me that her worst days in recovery were better than her best days in relapse. You can do this at Somerset! They will help. "The jump is frightening between where I am and where I want to be, but for all I may become, I will close my eyes and Leap."

Hi! My name is Gabrielle and I've been working on my recovery for over 21 years to find a better way of life! I will NEVER give up hope and neither should you!