Dear Future Recovery Sister
Dear Future Recovery Sister,
I know you may feel helpless, alone, or lost right now. But we’re writing to tell you: there is hope.
You might feel this way because I once did too. Life with an eating disorder is filled with fear, anxiety, and self-doubt. There’s a relentless voice in our heads—one that critiques what we wear, what we eat, and who we are. It tells us we’re failures, that we’ll never measure up, and that our worth lies in numbers and appearance.
It’s a voice that drowns out joy, even in things we used to love. It convinces us to give up because nothing will ever change. It says we’re not “sick enough.” It isolates us from people who love us. It says the only way to be seen or heard is through disordered behaviors. It demands perfection and punishes anything less. It insists we don’t deserve good things. It moves the finish line every time we get close. It robs us of peace—and ultimately, it wants to destroy us.
That is the world of an eating disorder, and it breaks my heart to think you may be living in that world now. I know you would never treat anyone else the way this illness treats you.
It’s a full-time job with no benefits. It’s taken enough from us. It’s time to take our lives back.
That was my life—until the darkness was brought into the light. My outpatient providers did their best, but I came to realize I needed more support than they could give.
Maybe that’s true for you, too. And I want you to know: there is no shame in needing more help. In fact, seeking that help is one of the bravest things you can do.
Choosing a higher level of care means letting go of many things. You will mourn. You will cry. You will feel anger. Recovery is a brave decision—but not an easy one. Still, at the end of that road is freedom.
On your way to freedom, you will find peace of mind. You will discover self-respect, body acceptance, and appreciation for what your body can do. You’ll offer compassion to your childhood self, and grace to the version of you who struggled. You’ll reconnect with people you care about. You’ll find joy in small things again. And you’ll have the mental clarity to make choices based on truth, not fear.
On our own journeys to freedom, here are some things we’ve discovered:
The eating disorder is isolating—but healing happens in community. The friendships we’ve found here, rooted in shared experience and Christ-centered hope, are deeply restorative.
Sometimes others hold hope for us until we’re strong enough to hold it ourselves.That’s what our providers do.
Intimacy matters. The small size of our group makes it feel safe, personal, and like home.
Healing requires depth. Recovery isn’t just about food—it’s about getting to the root of the pain. For us, that foundation begins and ends with Him.
“He restores my soul.” – Psalm 23
Hearing others’ experiences has opened our eyes. It’s shown us all the ways the eating disorder has impacted our lives—many we hadn’t even noticed before.
The groups in treatment address every part of the struggle— from body image and nutrition to coping skills, physiology, spirituality, societal and familial influences, and more. It’s hard to fight something you don’t understand, and these groups provide the insight and language we lacked. They bring clarity to the confusion—and that clarity makes recovery less frightening.
We’re not all in the same stage, and that’s a good thing. Seeing others ahead of us in the journey gives us hope. Supporting those just beginning reminds us how far we’ve come. There’s wisdom in our diversity, and it allows us to lift one another up.
Round-the-clock support makes a difference. At home, we didn’t have that. Here, no matter the time of day, someone is always there.
There’s joy here—real joy. We are doing incredibly hard work, but we laugh a lot. We make ordinary things fun. In the grip of the eating disorder, we forgot what joy felt like. Here, it’s coming back. And it’s contagious.
We are seen, not judged. No one mocks us here. Instead, people look out for us. We feel cared for, not criticized—and that safety is helping us finally do the work we’ve been too afraid to face.
You are not alone. You are not beyond healing. And you are so worth the fight.
With hope,
Your Recovery Sisters