Media Literacy
Today begins National Eating Disorder Awareness Week 2015.
Last year, I spent NEDAwareness Week inside a residential treatment facility. I hadn’t even known the week was coming up until I saw it on the weekly schedules we received, which told us what groups were available and when our various therapy and medical appointments were taking place.
I had never “celebrated” (if that’s the right word… commemorated?) NEDAwareness Week before then. After all, it had only been a little over two months since I’d even learned that what I’d been struggling with for all these years WAS an eating disorder. And it’s not as though we did very many “awareness-raising” activities from inside the treatment center. Sure, we acknowledged theweek, but we weren’t really the target population in need of additional education or awareness about this illness. Believe me — we knew.
All the same, there was something really special about that week, even while in treatment. When I thought about the various goings-on related to ED awareness “out there” in the real world, I felt seen. All of us there locked away in treatment hadn’t been forgotten about. Thousands, maybe millions of people were thinking about us and what we were going through. Strangers were talking about our illness and doing their best to bring about the attention needed to find treatment and prevention strategies.
It made a difference. Feeling seen and heard made me feel less alone. And feeling less alone made me feel hopeful. And feeling hopeful brought me one moment closer to recovery.
NEDAwareness Week 2015
I feel profoundly grateful now to have rejoined the world “out there” for this year’s NEDAwareness Week. I’ve been posting facts and statistics, , and doing as much as I can to help spotlight these efforts. And I’ve been learning about all the really great things that the National Eating Disorders Association and others have planned for the week.
So — let NEDAwareness Week 2015 commence! There are going to be a lot of great activities going on this week. If you live in NYC, join NEDA and Pace University tomorrow for a screening of The Illusionists, by Elena Rossini.
Tomorrow, buildings across the country will light up in blue and green to raise awareness about eating disorders.
And there’s way more! Check out nedawareness.org to find events in your area and to see what NEDA has going on this week. Here at The Middle Ground, I’ll be posting something every day pertaining to the various themes for the week:
- Sunday, February 22nd: Media Literacy
- Monday, February 23rd: Diversity & Marginalized Voices
- Tuesday, February 24th: Athletes and Eating Disorders
- Wednesday, February 25th: Youth/Bullying
- Thursday, February 26th: Subclinical/Orthorexia
- Friday, February 27th: Medical Professionals
- Saturday, February 28th: Parents
So get out there and TALK ABOUT IT! It really does make a difference.
And as you’re talking about it, remember all of those who are are separated from their families and friends this week as they fight their way toward recovery. They’re the ones we do this for.
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