"Deciding to admit myself into the Eating Disorder Center of Denver was the most difficult decision of my life. However, after having time to gain perspective, I have come to realize that while it was difficult, it was the best decision of my life. This quickly went from the most difficult experience to the best experience largely impart to the staff at EDCD and me choosing to work hard.

At the time of entering the doors of EDCD, my eating disorder was controlling and consuming my life. My thought process was set and no one was going to change my mind or be able to help me out of this love hate relationship I had created with my eating disorder. I would be stuck forever. This would never end.

After a few weeks of putting up a fight in treatment, the staff continued to be patient, compassionate, accepting, genuine, and loving with me and towards me. Slowly, I began to open up and talk about things non food and exercise related. The staff gently guided me as I took steps each day to talk about my past, present, and future.

The more I opened up and discovered that my identity was not in my eating disorder, the easier it became to let my unhealthy behaviors go and begin to adapt new, positive, and healthy behaviors. At the time of discharge, I was ready to embrace a new chapter in my life and try to rely on talking and feeling emotions verses using the eating disorder as a way to deal with life.

I must say that life outside of the center was and sometimes is extremely challenging. Every day I am faced with the decision to live life to the fullest or revert to the eating disorder. Thankfully, because of the amazing staff at EDCD, they equipped me with the necessary skills to thrive in recovery. It isn’t always easy and sometimes I do fail. However, the beauty is that I have the freedom to hit restart and be new all over again. Grace is a wonderful gift the staff has given me and I have given myself.

As I continue to grow and become more familiar with who I am the voice of the eating disorder gets quieter and quieter. It may always be there and I can choose to listen to my heart and not the voice of destruction. This is all because of the staff at EDCD loving me where I was at, teaching me how to overcome the eating disorder, and still supporting me today. Thank you! "

— Mindy