Hi!  My name is Michelle, I am sixteen, I live in Florida with my father, stepmother, little sister, and brother. I say I am a pretty normal sixteen-year-old girl, I hang with friends, go to the mall, movies, the beach, and have a boyfriend. But I have not always been this normal. I am a recovering bulimic.

 I started being bulimic when I was 11 years old. When I started, it was just for a little while. I wanted control. I didn't know it would control me for the rest of my life. It's an everyday struggle. There are a lot of reasons why I started this. Being abused, I was a little over weight, moving around, being made fun of by boys, and needing something to hold on to. But I can't blame it on anyone else but myself.

 It has taken me along time to wake up and say I need help, I have a problem. I had got way further into this than what I could handle. Who could I tell that would help me? I didn't know what I was going to do. I got to the point where my life was all about throwing up, how many calories I took in, and how many miles I ran in a day.  I got depressed and lost most of my friends. All I wanted was to be alone. I got so many stomachs and headaches.  All I did was cry. I thought there was no way out. I would yell and take everything I did to myself out on everyone around me. I was so concentrated on throwing up that I can't remember half my life.

 I have had about 12 relapses in the past year and a half. My most recent one I lied in bed for three days. It's an everyday thing I go through, and with out my family and my friends, who have cared and still have faith in me, I would never get over this. People who see me see a happy young lady growing up to be a strong woman and I can finally say that I am happy.

 It has taken me a long time to get to the place that I am now. I go to counseling. I go to PACE Center for Girls, which is an all girls school.  I don't feel as bad because the girls have similar problems.  This school is great for me. My social worker Miss Christie Cruse has been my greatest help. I still can't eat in front of people that aren't part of my family. When I go through a lot of stress, it's the hardest. I haven't purged in five months.

 Me being able to share all of this with you has been my greatest achievement yet. To all who read this and have an eating disorder, there is hope for you. It may take you a while, but with help, you can also do it. There are hotlines you can call for advice and places you can go for help, so don't give up.

 This is dedicated to my father, grandmother, and Lisa for always being there for me and never stopped believing in me.