Cody's Story: 5 Years Later

My story has been far from simple. My recovery has been full of conflicted feelings – pain and sorrow, joy and sadness, highs and lows.

From the outside, it might not have seemed like I had an eating disorder at all. I was a Division I athlete and was succeeding academically at a top university. No one would have guessed that I had been battling anorexia since my mid-teens.

During my sophomore year of college, I couldn’t keep it hidden anymore. My anorexia consumed my entire life, and it showed in everything I did. For 16 years, I was in and out of treatment, finding brief success but ultimately returning to the comfort of anorexia during difficult times.

I’ve been to ACUTE twice, and each time I was close to death. Since my last stay at ACUTE five years ago, I’ve been able to work with a full team of fabulous providers to sustain my recovery. Without ACUTE, I truly believe I wouldn’t have lived to tell my story. ACUTE was the first step in a long recovery process, and with their support, I was able to carry that momentum forward, continuing recovery with dedicated providers at lower levels of care.

At the time of admission, change felt scary. Despite the severity of my anorexia, I struggled to accept help. ACUTE’s willingness to support me through the treatment process helped me find hope during one of the darkest periods of my life.

Today, I’m at a healthy weight. I won’t lie, though – it’s not always easy. But now that I’m back in school, I don’t miss out on family gatherings. I’m a supportive friend, and most of all, I’m a warrior who will not give up.

I am a fighter, and I want others who are struggling to know that if you are scared to begin treatment and have even the tiniest thought of being ready for support through this painful disease, ACUTE is exactly what you need. They will not let you down. They are professional, talented and compassionate. They give you hope even when you feel like there’s nothing to hope for. Even all these years later, their aftercare clinician, Sara Nieder, continues to follow up with me.

ACUTE gave me a second chance to live. They saved my life so I can continue doing the work and fighting for the better life I know I deserve. ACUTE allowed me to build a care team and a support system that help me weather every storm.

Sometimes I feel sadness that anorexia robbed me of so many years of my life, but I find the strength within and the love around me. I send love to those still deep in the struggle; I hope my far-from-perfect story can give you hope.

Congratulations to ACUTE on 25 years of saving lives, taking on the cases with the highest need and finding the strength and knowledge to allow those like me to create a life worth living.