Point Loma Nazarene University’s Wellness Center held one of two events in honor of Eating Disorder Awareness Month in the Colt Hall Forum from 5-6 p.m. on Feb. 25. Students learned the importance of speaking up about their experiences and how to be a good support system for someone who is struggling with an eating disorder.
As students entered the Forum, there were a variety of snacks and drinks available including bottled water, sparkling water, scones, salad and chips. There was also an array of stickers, pens, pamphlets, flyers and infographics with information on eating disorders that students could take.
The panel was led by three speakers: AJ Galante, who serves as a clinical partnership representative at Equip Health; Carrie Gunn, PLNU’s campus dietician and Megan Erb, a third-year elementary education major. Gunn led the discussion and posed questions to Erb and Galante, and a Q&A session concluded the event where students had the chance to ask questions to any of the panelists.
Galante covered concepts in her speech including identifying what an eating disorder is, the different types and how to distinguish them, common signs, the impact they have on each organ in the body and phrases to say or not say to someone who is struggling with one.
She said the programs in place at Equip Health can be more effective for individuals compared to the current treatment plans that are available for eating disorders. She also emphasized that recovery is possible and you do not have to suffer in silence.
Erb touched on her personal experience with eating disorders and how it impacted many facets of her life. She detailed what it felt like to go through the process of treatment and what daily life for her was like alongside the other people she met in the treatment center. She stressed the importance of having support from her friendships and how they were a driving force in support, encouragement and care as she recovered.
According to Gunn, February is known as Eating Disorder Awareness Month. She said it is important to talk about eating disorders because they are multifaceted mental health disorders that put someone’s life at risk. She also said early intervention is the best step toward recovery.
“It is also crucial that we try to prevent an individual from developing one by providing education and support with mental health strategies, signs and symptoms to look for, body image self-compassion and the importance of getting support as soon as possible,” Gunn said in an email interview.
She said her intention for the event was to make students aware that eating disorders are a part of the campus community, and they can show up in any kind of student, ranging in body type, disorder severity, gender and behavior. She said she wants students to know support is out there regardless of where someone is and that they are not alone. The hope, she said, is that it would encourage people to talk more openly to others about their experiences.
“I think that for a lot of people, there is misunderstanding, and therefore a stigma, around the nature, complexities and causes of eating disorders,” Gunn said. “There can be shame, fear and even denial around experiencing thoughts and behaviors related to eating disorders.”
Students may think they are not “sick enough” to find support or utilize eating disorders as a coping mechanism for their mental health, which Gunn said, can create fear around addressing the disorder and finding help.
Taryn Coulson, a third-year student who visited PLNU from the University of Oregon to support Erb at the event, said it was beneficial to know how to support others who turn to you and say they are battling an eating disorder.
“Eating disorders thrive in secrecy, so I think it is really important to know that other people want to help you,” she said. “You can support someone by just being curious and having open ears for them.”
She said that something new she learned was the many kinds of treatments and resources available, and the idea that there is a benefit to identifying what each of those options are.
Michelle Blomgren, a third-year accounting major, said it was enlightening to hear how much Erb has learned through treatment and the progress she is making in recovery. She said she was inspired by her drive to help others who are facing similar circumstances, and that she wants other students to know that they can use her as a resource.
“I think it’s really good to spread awareness, especially at Loma, because I know there are so many people that are nervous to speak out that they do need help,” Blomgren said.
Blomgren said students should know eating disorders fall on a spectrum, and even if someone thinks it is not severe, they should still seek help or tell someone they can trust.
“Once someone realizes and is able to tell someone and say out loud that they do need help, that is a huge step into recovery,” Blomgren said.
She said that the event taught her not every person’s treatment will be the same, and recovery will take different amounts of time for each individual, but it is OK because getting better is what’s key.
For more information, Gunn is providing methods for students to look into the resources available on or off campus about eating disorders, calling it a “Next Steps Resource Page”.
Tessa Balc