Mental Illness Recovery: Therapy and Treatment

Hi, my name is Anna, and I am only thirteen years old. Some may ask, what can happen to someone at 13 years old? Why would they start a GoFundMe? This money is not made for me but for girls and boys who suffer from mental illnesses. I was diagnosed with Anorexia Nervosa a bit more than a year ago. It was the biggest struggle of my life, and I think it will continue to be for the rest of it. One thing I know for a fact about mental illnesses is that it is very difficult for therapy to work when the state of mental health decreases. It started for me in quarantine. I thought I had been on the bigger side for all of my life. I wanted to change my physical appearance to feel better about myself. It started with a weight-loss goal of 10 pounds but then went down to 25. I did not need to lose not even one pound at the time, I was completely healthy. However, my consciousness declared otherwise. I began to exercise compulsively and barely eat 200 calories a day. I looked terrible and did end up getting sent to the hospital for four days before immediate discharge. My heart rate and white blood cells were the most affected by the weight loss. If I were to get Covid 19, it could have become fatal for me. I got so bad that I got sent to a hospital in Georgia for three weeks. It was called Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. Even though my suffering was off charts, they kept me from dying. They saved my life. I then got sent to a residential treatment center also in Atlanta for 3 months. It was called Veritas Collaborative. They helped me both physically and mentally and helped me get back on track. I live in Miami, so I was away from my parents for that whole time. We had designated times to call them but other than that no communication was allowed. I still remember crying countless nights before I could see them again. However, this was necessary. I then did partial hospitalization in the same program for another 3 months with my parents in Atlanta supporting me. I finally came by home to do intensive outpatient and outpatient in a program called Galen Hope in Miami. They helped me an incredible amount. My father and mother paid a lot for everything that happened. Insurance did not cover all of it. I am still in therapy today but I am doing school and in eighth grade. I am so proud of what I have accomplished this last year and a half. I want to help others be able to undergo therapy and be ensured hospitalization if needed. Please donate, it would mean the world to me. I met so many lovely girls at Veritas and it got me thinking how many more could use my help. Every sixty minutes, at least one person suffering from anorexia dies. Let's make it less. Join me and donate! Even a dollar helps! Thank you!

All proceeds go to the National Alliance for Eating Disorders.

https://www.allianceforeatingdisorders.com/community-service/