Well everyone, I begin a new chapter in my life tomorrow. I am SUCCESSFULLY being discharged from Princeton Center for Eating Disorders!!! And I am proud to say I am leaving with a bit of confidence and a ton of hope and determination. I created a list of everything I am taking away from this amazing place.
1.I am Julie. I am NOT my mother. I am NOT my eating disorder.
2. I have a voice and it is okay to use it.
3. My feelings/ emotions matter.
4. I need to put ME and my recovery first.
5. It is okay to express my needs and feelings.
6. A slip does NOT equal a relapse.
7. I can enjoy foods that I like and not gain an immense amount of weight.
8. Use wise mind, not emotional or reasonable mind all the time.
9. I can only change myself.
10. I need to create my own identity.
11. Things can be tweaked in my meal plan and I can still be healthy.
12. Recovery = Life, Success, Courage, Strength
13. I am more than a number.
14. I am not a slave to calorie counting.
15. Staying in the present is important.
16. You cannot change the past nor can you predict the future.
17. It is NOT about the food.
18. Feelings do NOT control me.
19. Negative feelings will pass.
20. Being open and honest with myself and others is very important.
21. I need to find a new constant in my life other than the eating disorder.
22. I can be independent.
23. Restricting does NOT change situations or people around me.
24. I need a large support group to guide me, but not to carry me.
25. Being healthy gives me more control as opposed to when I am sick in my anorexia
26. People love me for me, NOT because of the way I look.
27. I have many coping skills and if I honestly try to implement them during hard times I may be able to push through successfully.
28. Being healthy does NOT make me more vulnerable, it makes me more courageous and stronger.
29. Life does not always go as planned.
30. Expected unexpected change to occur and remember I can handle it in an appropriate way.
31. I do not have to take the world on on my own.
32. There is NO such thing as perfection.
33. I do not have to force myself to be perfect for others or myself.
34. It is important to keep a schedule/ routine.
35. I have made great accomplishment in my life thus far.
36.It is important to remind myself of my strengths and accomplishments.
37. I DESERVE to recover!!!
38. I CAN and I WILL recover!!!!!
juliewoodk 
Yeah!! I am so proud
You are AMAZING! I’m so proud of you — you fought your way through pain and complete craziness, NONE of which were your fault! I want to take the time to congratulate you for EVERY ONE OF THOSE ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND REALIZATIONS:
1.I am Julie. I am NOT my mother. I am NOT my eating disorder.
It’s JULIE’S life and JULIE deserves to be happy and like it to the fullest; NOT ED.
2. I have a voice and it is okay to use it.
Don’t just speak — SING!
3. My feelings/ emotions matter.
They are what guide you, and while they may be confusing and may conflict with any sort of rational analysis, you FEEL them for a REASON; they’re NOT to be dismissed or ashamed of!
4. I need to put ME and my recovery first.
You can’t take care of anyone else as effectively as when you care for yourself first
5. It is okay to express my needs and feelings.
You would tell everyone else to lay on their troubles and their burdens — not hold back for fear of asking for help. Allow yourself the deserved privilege of doing the same
6. A slip does NOT equal a relapse.
Tune-ups and speedbumps are part of the journey 🙂 Stravinsky loved dancers who fell down, because those were the ones who gave it their all and never failed to get back up
7. I can enjoy foods that I like and not gain an immense amount of weight.
Your body is MEANT to eat and MEANT to enjoy it while maintaining a HEALTHY SET POINT — there is nothing immense or shameful about that
8. Use wise mind, not emotional or reasonable mind all the time.
Both emotions and reason are valid, but it’s the bringing of both together that produces the fairest and most optimal result for you as a whole
9. I can only change myself.
And that’s all anyone could ask, though be sure not to disregard your core self in making those changes. You need only change for YOUR happiness, not just because someone else wants you to
10. I need to create my own identity.
Because PLENTY of people would try to create one for you, but you won’t be able to love someone else’s creation NEARLY as much as your own true self
11. Things can be tweaked in my meal plan and I can still be healthy.
Life isn’t set in stone — eating and nourishing the body is an organic process, not an exact science. You can’t mess up but experimenting and exploring so long as you listen to your body in the journey
12. Recovery = Life, Success, Courage, Strength
That doesn’t make it any less scary, only worth it in the longrun
13. I am more than a number.
You’re more than ALL numbers — PEOPLE ARE PEOPLE; they are NATURAL and BEAUTIFUL and ORGANIC. Numbers are CREATIONS — abstractions of natural phenomena laid in concrete characters by human hands, and thus in their nature biased and jaded. You don’t have to compare to them — you’re above and beyond them by simply breathing LIFE
14. I am not a slave to calorie counting.
Calories are real, but in their organic essence they are not numbers — they are partners with your body in keeping you well so that you can LIVE TO THE FULLEST
15. Staying in the present is important.
Because the past is set in stone, and the future may change at any moment
16. You cannot change the past nor can you predict the future.
And you DO NOT HAVE TO; NO ONE CAN. It’s not an obligation to fix whatever happened or safeguard what is to come; only protect yourself and those you love in the moment
17. It is NOT about the food.
Food is inanimate and neutral; what emotions and associations our mind attach to it indicate another thing altogether, one much more important than what is on our plate
18. Feelings do NOT control me.
Emotions are a vital part of your existence and what make you YOU, but they are NOT the only part
19. Negative feelings will pass.
This does not mean they will pass quickly or that they will not leave lasting pains to be dealt with in time to come, but you cannot tackle them without acknowledging that those pains are THERE TO BE addressed in the first place
20. Being open and honest with myself and others is very important.
Because what good is life if you can’t live it for yourself — for real? Life is not meant to be a puppet show; that only cheats EVERYONE out of the fulfillment of a true existence and experience
21. I need to find a new constant in my life other than the eating disorder.
Look to your inner sense of strength and those who gather around you to lift you up when you feel alone. We are all here for you!!
22. I can be independent.
It is lonely and uncomfortable standing alone, but knowing you CAN do it is key to pushing through the anxiety and moving onwards. You have tackled so much more than the transition to responsibility; all you need do is believe in yourself and keep moving forward, no matter what missteps you may take along the way
23. Restricting does NOT change situations or people around me.
It only limits the resources you have to cope with those situations
24. I need a large support group to guide me, but not to carry me.
In the end it is YOUR STRENGTH which moves you; others are inspiration
25. Being healthy gives me more control as opposed to when I am sick in my anorexia
The belief that restriction is control is a trick of the ED trying to lure you back into dependence; there is no better set of eyes through which to view and evaluate the world than the clear ones of the healthy Julie
26. People love me for me, NOT because of the way I look.
As YOU should love yourself
27. I have many coping skills and if I honestly try to implement them during hard times I may be able to push through successfully.
The important thing is to TRY
28. Being healthy does NOT make me more vulnerable, it makes me more courageous and stronger.
Being ILL makes you vulnerable — your body is physically taxed and prone to disease, while your cognition is limited by fatigue and undernourishment, reducing your reserves for coping with the stressors you WILL encounter in life. HEALTH is the buffer against stress
29. Life does not always go as planned.
What matters is how we adapt and handle the changes. You must not curse the darkness but instead light a candle — light one candle for each ray of positive things for which you are thankful
30. Expected unexpected change to occur and remember I can handle it in an appropriate way.
Remember that you have the skills; you need only search within yourself
31. I do not have to take the world on on my own.
Your friends and family are HERE TO SUPPORT YOU in finding the strength within your being to take care of yourself and adapt to the changing world
32. There is NO such thing as perfection.
Humans are by definition unique — they are perfect in their truest selves by BEING their truest selves. The idea that there is an overarching non-unique sense of perfection is an illusory ideal constructed by those too fearful of their own inadequacies to allow for the nonexistence of an elite to which to belong
33. I do not have to force myself to be perfect for others or myself.
You cannot force perfection on yourself; the only perfect that exists for you is the one that NATURALLY ARISES from you living life as the TRUE you
34. It is important to keep a schedule/ routine.
Organization helps alleviate the anxiety of the unknown
35. I have made great accomplishment in my life thus far.
You have come so far in taking these steps to help yourself with the support of others, despite setbacks, and this does NOT mean you are done growing and healing and GIVING to the world
36.It is important to remind myself of my strengths and accomplishments.
The only reason you shouldn’t be able to name your beautiful qualities is in recognition that there are TOO MANY TO LIST
37. I DESERVE to recover!!!
You deserve the right to FEEL as beautiful as you ARE every second of every day!
38. I CAN and I WILL recover!!!!!
Only your mind can stand in the way, and only the ED will MAKE IT STOP YOU. Push past the pain and the doubt and SHINE!
Omg kyra. Waking up and reading this is amazing. Thank you SO much for your amazing help and support! You honestly have given me more confidence and validation towards my recovery. Thank you again!!!! Xo