ED: My Shadow, Not My Friend

My head is pounding, my stomach pulsing. My throat is burning, my pulse is racing. Nothing about me feels okay, and if someone were to look deep into my eyes like they were searching for something, they'd know. ED has taken so much from me, yet I cannot seem to stop giving him the power to continue. I can't stand the screaming. I want it to go away, but late at night when the voice finally stops, I feel so alone. I hate the loneliness. It amuses me when people tell me that I stay in situations with people so that I am not lonely. It isn't the loneliness of people that scares me. It is the loneliness of being rid of the voice in my head that makes me scared. For some reason, with certain people in my life, ED has more room to roam in the shadows of my mind.

Alycia Oppenheim has a bachelor's degree from the University of South Florida and a master's degree in Shakespeare Studies from the Shakespeare Institute in England. Passionate about social change, Alycia strives to make a difference in the world. While not working at her full-time job, Alycia is an adjunct professor of English Composition. Dr. Phyllis Oppenheim holds a doctorate in health sciences from Nova Southeastern and a master's degree in health services administration. Because of Alycia's struggle with eating disorders, her doctorate focus was eating disorders in general and, specifically, both the early warning signs of an eating disorder and spreading awareness of them.