A politician in Crumlin, Ireland, shares how she beat her Eating Disorder.
Ann Marie Martin, a Fine Gael councilor, suffered from an Eating Disorder for five years, which lead her to struggle with both Bulimia and Compulsive Overeating. Now that she has overcome her own fight, she is intent on telling others that it's possible to get help and recover.
"The reason I am being so open about this now is that eating disorders can be such a guilty, secretive and shameful illness for a sufferer," Ann said. "If this had come out about me two years ago I would have been mortified, fearing that people would see me as some sort of failure."
She knows only too well how Disordered Eating can take control over your life and make you feel guilty, abused and secretive. "All my life I had issues with body image and was unhappy with how my body looked," she admitted. "There was a time when I wouldn't eat anything containing any fat and I lost a lot of weight. But then I would just relapse into bulimia once again. There comes a time when you realise that you have to cop on. I got to that point where I said that I just can't really take this anymore; the disorder was taking control over my life and I needed to regain it."
She has started a course run by the Eating Disorder Resource Centre of Ireland in Co Wexford, to put her experience and passion into gear. The course itself is only in its first year of operation, but has been successful in both London and Western Europe.
"This is a topic that is very close to my heart," Ann revealed. "I have suffered from an eating disorder myself and understand the heartache it can bring. Being a woman in today's demanding society, the pressure to pursue the perfect body image can become almost obsessive for some of us and my biggest worry is how it is affecting young children and teenagers."
Ann seems to really be a light in this dark struggle. She says, "Every single day I come into contact with girls in my area who have issues with body image. They need to learn that you have to have a balance in your life. If you are eating the right foods and your body chemistry is balanced then your mind will be more balanced and you are better prepared to make the right decisions about yourself."
Absolutely.
