You Ask, I Answer

A couple more questions from Formspring:

Who would win in a fight: pirates or ninjas?

It depends, are these regular ninjas or Ninja Turtles? Cowabunga...

Why do you blog? Has it helped your recovery do you think? Does Match know of your blog?

I started blogging because writing is extremely therapeutic for me. Sometimes it's really the only way I can sort out the mess of thoughts swirling inside my cranium. Why not just journal? I have belonged to a few recovery forums in the past, and ended up leaving all of them (got to the point where I felt like it was not helping me), but knew that there ARE people out there seeking a positive community for support in recovery. I also knew from experience that it can be incredibly helpful to find people to identify with, to validate the problems and help you to see them more objectively. I chose to document my recovery publicly, also, because there is so much uncertainty in giving up an ED. I know there are people out there reading who haven't mustered the courage to the first (or second, or third, etc) steps toward getting healthy, but who desperately *want* to. I guess I thought that by writing about my experience honestly, it might help even one person see that while the whole process may not always be fun, it is indeed doable and INCREDIBLY worth it in the end. I try to hit on issues that do/did cause me great anxiety, like discussing the birth control, because it needs to be talked about and it's important for people to know that they are not alone in their fears or worries.

Also, I have found an AMAZING community online, I can honestly say I don't think I'd have come this far if it hadn't been for the great comments and support I've gotten. I can't believe it's been almost 2 years! I am constantly impressed with the people I've met through this recovery blog community.

Finally, Match does not know about this blog, and neither does anyone else in my "real life." There are a few bloggers that know who I am non-Cammy, but those are people that I met either through this blog or through an earlier recovery forum. I have tossed around the idea of opening up to friends at various times, but have never wanted to in the end. It's not that I have much to hide; those that I'm closest to definitely know about the ED. But I do think it would affect, even if only slightly, how candid and unselfconscious I can be in my writing. The main reason I am pseudonymous is for professional reasons; I started this blog just prior to my senior year of college, when I was applying to graduate schools, and was hyper aware that Very Important People would soon be Googling me. When I finish my Master's and go for my PhD, and then for jobs in my professional career, I'll be in the same boat, so privacy is ultra-important to me.