Eating Disorders Help Guide: After 33 Years, Woman Finally Gets Help for Eating Disorders

After suffering from eating disorders over the past three decades, a 43-year-old Canadian woman has gone public with her struggle and her decision to finally get help.

A Jan. 11 Abbotsford (British Columbia) News article by Vikki Hopes provided the following glimpse into the life of Carla Bartlett-Hitchings:

Carla’s self-worth had been eroded by an abusive environment. She thought she was fat and ugly, and she wanted to look like that model.

Purging made her feel good; like she was in control in a world that was otherwise supremely chaotic. Subconsciously, it was a form of self-abuse: She didn’t deserve better because she was so unloveable. …

Carla’s eating disorder – bulimia for most of her life, turning to anorexia in the last year – stems from a childhood riddled with abuse: emotional, physical, verbal and sexual.

Her parents were both alcoholic, and her mom suffered from what was later diagnosed as bipolar disorder. Carla would often hide in her closet, the only place she felt safe from the insanity of her home.

Once the eating disorder took hold, Carla couldn’t let go. It made her feel strong and empowered: “I finally have control. Look what I can do.”

“I don’t know why I’m not dead,” Bartlett-Hitchings said in the article. “Maybe it’s to encourage people.”

Labels: overcoming bulimia, overcoming_an_eating_disorder, self-image_issues, trauma