At what point did you decide to begin recovery? And how have you dealt with the slips and relapses?

I began my recovery when I found that I was the only one who would be able to control how I felt. I find that the relapses are a natural part of the process. Don't feel too awful when it happens. No one is perfect and it is about the journey and not the destination.

I chose recovery when I started doing things I wanted, not what was expected of me by others and even by societal norms. I found that working made me feel good, but school made me stressed and often led to me self harming and reverting back to disordered eating. So I chose to graduate early to pursue working full time. I chose what made me happy, and the rest just followed. When I relapse, I remind myself that if recovery were easy, everyone would do it. It's okay to slip up, as long as at the end of the day you're still trying.

When i started really noticing it impact my social life and when i got super lonely. I started only allowing a healthy amount of exercise and counted calories but this time to make sure i was eating ENOUGH in a day. Forums for recovery also really helped me.

Began recovery when I knew I deserved happiness. Relapses? I did not want to be in that place again.

I decided to start my recovery when I started University. That was the first time I really focussed on my recovery. I had a few slip ups with my self-harming behaviours but I found that this was part of the recovery process. Eventually, I started using coping mechanisms like running ice over my skin and putting plasters where I'd hurt myself helped. I didn't consider my relapses to be failures; it's not easy to just "get over" something that has had a hold on you for a long time. Be patient with yourself, recovery will happen :)

I suppose it was a slow process more than a light bulb moment but I realized that by denying my feelings I was only hurting myself. I would not get better this way. The bumps along the way have been difficult and my journey is not yet finished, but I still feel like all of this has been worth it. I want to recover and I can recover.

I always knew what I was doing. I always knew I was not in a healthy state of mind. It came down to me deciding I needed to become better to have a worry free future for myself. I didn't want to die or have a bad future because of my current decisions and bad habits. Relapse is hard for everyone, but I've been able to come back to reality through the help of others and evaluating myself and my goals.

When I found myself thinking about suicide even when I was around family and friends I decided it needed to stop. My friends have been very helpful along the way. Always lending a shoulder if I needed to cry.

I dealt with anxiety, depression, and anorexia. I decided that I needed to recover because it was getting in the way of everything else in my life. I was completely consumed by it all. I starting being rude to my friends, stopped enjoying hobbies, and isolated myself. I knew something needed to change. I went to therapy and am on meds now for it, but none of that is a miracle cure. I have relapse off and on, and I try to deal with that by reminding myself that it was just a mistake and that I can still overcome it. Two steps forward, one step back. You just gotta keep going.

I decided to begin recovery when my struggles started to impact my daily life and my relationships with everyone around me. I felt as though I was chained down in a dark hole I would never be able to get out of. Recovery has been great, but the slips and relapses are something I know I will continue to face and dealing with them has been easier since I know that the dark hole I once was chained down in has become a place I have escaped. I only see it from afar now, but I know ill keep growing and coping and continue to see it from a distance and not from within.