My Final Surrender

This post is long overdue. Especially seeing as I graduated from Renfrew in August. But anyway, if you have ever been a patient at "the frew" then you know what surrenders are. For everyone else, it is when you decide to give up something that harms your recovery. On my last day, while meeting with my therapist, I wrote my very last surrender and promised to hold myself to it. But I haven't done very well on that promise. So, I am going to type it below and hope it helps.


I surrender using the sentence, "I can't". With this surrender I decide that I am capable of achieving the things I want in life. I acknowledge that I do not deserve to fail at everything I attempt. Not all things will go as I hope or plan but it is better to try than to never know. I accept that I have potential in this life and refuse to not explore it. I surrender setting myself up to fail by setting the lowest possible standards. From this day forward, I promise to myself to give me a chance. Not in school or activities. But to give myself the opportunity to always be who I am without apology. With this signature I commit to living a life goals, opportunities, and chances.

Stay Strong
xo Aria

Thanksgiving 2015

Wow. Just wow. I don't even know how to explain this thanksgiving. I'm three years clean from self-harm. I sat at the table the whole time. I ate breakfast today. I didn't reach out to a treatment team member. I only body checked for maybe 10 minutes. I would be lying if I said that I didn't have a bunch of thoughts go through my head. But it was just so amazing to not want to scream and pull my hair out. For once, I don't plan on restricting today to make up for the meal. I enjoyed Black Friday shopping. And I'm kind of excited to have leftovers for lunch. I had water at the mall. I don't know where this is going. But it feels really nice to know that I got through thanksgiving on my own. Yeah. Life is good. 

Stay Strong

xo Aria

I Apparently Have Things To Say

Two posts in two days?!? What is this sorcery! 

So. Today I actually told one of my new friends that SURPRISE Im incapable of feeding myself properly. And she didn't run away screaming. I'm so excited. Like thank goodness. That was crazy nerve wracking. But it's all good. 

That actually wasn't the point of this post though. The point of this post is that today, i ate three meals. Like holy shit! I'm so proud. And so freaked out at the same time! But like yay. Yes. I kinda wish I hadn't. And yeah I have slight self harm urges. But I'm not gonna do it. I'm gonna be awesome and watch a movie with friends and maybe...maybe...maybe eat cookies and brownies with them. I'm not sure. Probably. Cause I don't wanna seem awkward. And like normalcy is probably the way to go. We'll see. 

Anyway! Thanks for reading my ramblings!

Stay Strong

xo Aria

I'm So Proud Of Myself

I don't think I've ever said the name of this post and actually meant it. But today...today I mean it. After 6 treatment stays. Including two this summer. Barely eating my first week at college and exercising more than allowed. I finally have it together. I have been eating. Having some water. Kinda. Exercising like a normal person. I even joined things that don't include exercise. I've made friends that have no idea about my eating disorder or my self harm past. And even though days are struggles still and a lot of the time, I'd rather not eat... I still do. I guess the moment for me that I realized I needed to write this post was when I drank normal soda the other night and didn't freak out. Not only that but I chose to drink it. For the first time in 6 years, I have friends, im eating, I'm caught up on school work and I'm happy. Life can be so good. Just let yourself have it. 

Stay Strong

Xo Aria

Time To Be Transparent

I never thought I would write this. But I guess this could be good for me. There are things I need to tell people about myself. Beware. All the walls are coming down. 

I do put on a wonderful front. It has a purpose. That way nobody can hurt me and I can't be disappointed. If I pretend that everything is ok, then life is ok. It takes away the need for emotion. I hate crying. I find it creates vulnerability and I don't like that. This my first time really being single since 7th grade and it's terrifying. Maybe that's a good thing. But I'm not sure. I know my obsession with exercise is unhealthy. I just can't seem to stop. I only worked out for 45 minutes today AND got injured but I still feel guilty because I'm allowed to work out more than that. I constantly feel like nobody hears me. And that makes me not want to share. Why share if nobody wants to hear it. School terrifies me. I can't focus and when I read, I mix up letters and words. Which makes textbooks SO hard and reading out loud makes me want to vomit. My anxiety causes me to feel sick and like I'm having a heart attack. It's the worst. I want to lose weight so badly right now.But I won't. I can't keep going in and out of treatment. That I know. I'm so scared of finding out who I am. What if I'm a horrendous person that nobody likes. I don't tell people when I get hurt. I never have. When I was little and would get a cut, I would run to my room and hide it from my parents. Once I bled for an hour. When I sprain my ankle, I don't wear braces. I don't like to be seen as less than perfect. I was bullied too long for that. I was the girl in middle school who people put notes on her locker calling her a whore. I'll never forget that. I pretend to be stupider than I am. It works for me. People never think I'm smart. It's just not a thing. Which is probably good. I love gymnastics with all my heart. But there is definitely a part of me that wants to leave the leotards behind. That's normal. Judaism is so important to me. Like ridiculously. Not sure why. 

That's all I've got for now. 

Stay Strong

xo Aria

Margo. Roth. Spiegelman.

Margo is the main character of John Green's novel Paper Towns. If I'm going to be honest, I didn't totally understand the paper metaphor when I read the book. But now after seeing the movie, I understand the metaphor and Margo Roth Spiegalman more than I ever thought possible. Because just like her, I'm a paper girl. I'm not real. People think they know who I am. They've constructed this image of me in their heads and that's who they see. But it's not who I am. I don't think. I don't even really know who I am. I feel like I've spent so long pretending to be someone that others created. A girl that I don't even know anymore. Maybe Margo was right. Sometimes you just have to run away and figure it out. I don't know if I'd physically run away. Granted, I'd love to actually find an adventure or have an idea and just follow it. I love uncertainty. Maybe you can run away without a bus ticket though. Maybe you just have to get away from the things that make you , you. Find new friends, new hobbies, new places to go. Let go of one identity and run away to another one. One that isn't paper. I don't know if I'll ever find my W or my Agloe but I sure hope I have the chance to make some non-paper memories along the way. 

We are all Margo. 

Stay Strong

xo Aria

Why I Hate Dietitians (part 2?)

I'm like 90% sure I wrote something like this on my original blog. So let's go with part two. The fun part is that this one is about a different dietitian! Woohoo! Anyway on the point of this post. So, the dietitian that I am currently seeing in treatment and I are definitely on different pages. But like the problem is that I don't think she trusts anything I say. And she definitely isn't a fan of gymnastics. Not shocking. But still. Like my weight has gone up MORE since being here. And that wasn't even necessary. If anything I could lose weight and be ok. The last thing I need to lose my ability to exercise. Especially since it helps me deal with emotions. I don't know. Plus like I don't need to drink liquids. I choose not to and I'm ok. Granted I've been like crazy dizzy lately. That's a secret between me and you my faithful readers. I honestly think that she thinks I'm playing her. Like when I asked about the point of water. Or when I talk about how I grew up learning about exercise. Like I don't use exercise machines. I didn't even know they showed calories until that time I went to crossfit. I just. I don't know how to say the things without being judged by her. Which is a big reason I have friends with eating disorders because when I say those things, there is no judgement. 

Just accept that you can't change how people view you. 

Stay Strong

xo Aria

Update: I'm literally an emotional mess and it's midnight and I'm crying. So here's hoping they don't make me talk during program tomorrow.