Reflection in a Stranger

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Reflection in a Stranger

Being on a college campus, you are surrounded by many different kinds of people. Whether you get to know them personally or you just know the familiar faces, some of those people will remind you of friends at home, family members, neighbors, and even yourself. This is what I have experienced here at UVM. I have met so many people that have certain characteristics that remind me of the friends from home whom I miss dearly. But most of all, it is the people I see that remind me of myself that impacts me the most.

It is well known that eating disorders are a problem in our society, and college campuses are a place where that problem is magnified a bit. Not to say that all the girls I am thinking of have eating disorders; a few do, and the others are maybe on the verge. But it is seeing these girls where I see myself, and it makes me cringe inside.

I don’t even know how the disease got a hold of me. That is one of the mysterious things about anorexia nervosa, it kind of creeps up on you. I was always tall and thin growing up. I never really thought about my weight or my body for that matter. I was always active in different sports, and never thought I needed to lose weight.

When I entered high school I continued playing basketball and running track. But in high school these sports were more competitive. I wasn’t a great basketball player, but I wanted to be. I began to train during the off season, especially for basketball, playing every day in the summer. And the work paid off, I made the varsity basketball team my sophomore year, and also placed seventh in the state track meet running the 300 meter hurdles. But that only caused me to set more expectations for myself. The varsi...

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.... They need to find a person they trust that can convince them that they need help. And they need to see it inside themselves that they have a problem. What bothers me just as much is seeing girls trying all these diets to lose weight, when they really don’t need to. It just reminds me of how I got sucked into an addictive behavior, which started in that same way.

There are a few people on campus that I have met and grown close with that I have talked to about their eating problems. I told them my story and told them that if they ever need anything to just ask. I told them how I recovered and how it is a long process and it is really up to you. And I told them I know how it feels to be in that situation. I only hope that they will find it in themselves to accept the help offered to them by their friends and family, and understand that they are not alone.

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