One woman is going viral after penning a message to the man who fat-shamed her — going as far to share pictures of what she looked like when she was anorexic.
“When I was 16 I developed an eating disorder (anorexia). I also struggled with depression and self-harm issues. The last 4 years I’ve been in several (clinical) treatments. I am still not there yet, but I am further along the road to recovery than ever.”
The woman, who wrote the letter under the username recoveryforeva, did not criticize the man but rather thanked him.
“I would like to thank the teens who thought it would be funny to make pig noises when I walked by, yesterday. You’ve not only made me realize there are still a ton of fatphobic a******s out there, you also showed me I am not yet where I want to be.”
“At the moment I heard you snorting, my heart started racing while I was trying to act normal and not burst into tears. My self-destructive thoughts took over my healthy brain and told me I was a worthless piece of sh*t. However, I won’t let you make me doubt myself.”
She then admitted how aware she was of her size but also how much of a difference her mindset was from years past.
“Yes, I am fat. But I am much happier than last year. I’ve struggled with several eating disorders for almost five years. I’ve been severely under weighted, on the edge of death, forced in hospital. I did not only lose a lot of weight, I lost myself and the strength to live.”
“Nowadays, I am fat, I have a body covered in scars and I still struggle with an eating disorder (binge eating disorder) and several other mental health issues, but I am so much further than I was back in the days.”
“I am able to attend school, have a meaningful job and regain self-confidence. First I existed, now I survive and soon I will fully live. I still want to become fit again, because I need a healthy body to fulfill the adventures I have planned for myself in the future.”
But she mentioned that it will not come at a cost to her mental health.
“However, if losing weight means I am harming my mental health, I won’t. It’s not worth it. I finally see light in the darkness and now I am not only going to own my size, but also my life. I am taking my life back out of the hands of my mental illness.”
“So thank you again for snorting. You not only made me realize I still have a long way to go to feel confident in my own skin, you also made me strengthen my willpower to mean something to the world.”
“I want to normalize talking about mental health problems and educate more people about the difficulty of an invisible illness. You gave me a purpose.”
And while she is not yet where she would like to be, she is happy she is on her way.
“Although I still don’t have a healthy weight, I am so much happier now. I am going to own my size. I hope one day I can mean something to the world. I hope by then, they have seen and read this article and learned from it.”
If you or a loved one is struggling with an eating disorder — you are not alone. There are folks waiting by the phone to talk with you to help. Click here for that number.
NOW WATCH: Sweden Actually Turns It’s Garbage Into Energy | Save The World