Watching My 600lb Life and someone’s family member just said “she’s an embarrassment” in regards to the main person clearly meaning bc of their weight and I’m physically sick from it. As someone who has struggled with my weight my entire life as an emotional eater, you have no-

clue how many times I and people in the same situation thinks this exact thing about ourselves. It’s one of the most hurtful thoughts to have about yourself when you’re in a situation so many tell you to “just change!!!!” Because it’s supposedly so easy. If it were so easy-

why would we stay overweight? Because I can promise you it’s the farthest thing from an ideal situation to be in. You’re physically limited so much depending on how severe your obesity is. It also ruins your mental health because of how much it messes with your self confidence-

and once your self confidence is gone the insecurities set in. Then the anxiety. Then the depression can follow like a dog on a leash. So many obese people are MISERABLE, and so many fall through the cracks in the health care system because we, not as individual nations, but as-

the entire collective world are so poor at dealing with childhood and young adult trauma that often lead to eating disorders and other mental health conditions. We lack understanding as to why it happens, even though the answer is written down the pages of books and websites-

in every language imaginable. EMOTIONAL TRAUMA MANIFESTS ITSELF IN MANY WAYS, INCLUDING EATING DISORDERS. I have firsthand experience of this. I was born with two heart defects as well, which made my eating disorder even more dangerous that it would have already been if I didn’t-

late last october the doctors discovered I was in heart failure. Not only because of my obesity, but it sure as hell contributed to it. If I hadn’t gone to the hospital when I did I would have been dead before Christmas. Guaranteed. I was waiting to die. Too scared to reach out-

and you know why? Because of how I’ve previously been treated because of my obesity. How I’ve been dismissed and told to just change my eating habits and exercise more without further help. I didn’t reach out because I didn’t want to fee like I was in the way again. Like a-

bother. A nuisance. I didn’t go to the hospital until I literally could not stand on my own two feet, and barely breathe sitting down. I felt I deserved every ounce of pain I was in because I was the one eating bad food, so why should anyone help me? I could just change,-

after all. Right? But it’s not that fucking easy. It took every ounce of courage I had left to go to the hospital. They listened to me and heard me out. They ran tests. I was sent to the biggest hospital in my country, where they are experts on heart conditions. I ended up-

spending an entire month in two different hospitals before I was discharged. I was finally, after too many years of being dismissed, taken seriously. I’m glad I was taken seriously, but it should not take this long. I’ve quit therapy since then because things have eased up-

dramatically, but I spent 16.5 years in therapy before that. 16.5 years people told me to just change my habits. I did in the end, but with the right kind of support and encouragement from professionals that I’d never had before. That very few people struggling with this are-

fortunate enough to get. As fucked up as my story is (this is barely any of it, but I excluded and shortened so it won’t go on forever), I am still considered one of the lucky ones. That’s fucked up. So so so fucked up. This is why I always check up on people on their posts-

when they say they’re not doing too good as well. Whether they follow me back or not, I always send my love because I know exactly what it feels like to have no one send theirs to me. I know that fucking pain. I know the pain of feeling like an embarrassing, worthless piece of-

utter garbage and I do not wish it upon anyone. Whether they struggle with an eating disorder or other mental health challenges. I am always here for people who need it. No questions asked. Ever. Anytime you need someone. Let me know. -

I know this thread was all over the place and a fucking mess with too many topics but seeing someone refer to their family member as an embarrassment just sent me over the edge. If you see this: you are loved. You are light. You are important. You are good enough. <3