After a series of admissions to psychiatric wards and 2 very long-term admissions to an eating disorder ward spread over about 5 years, I was fortunate enough to end up at ASBL “Empathie”, where I have been receiving out-patient counselling for a year and a half now. I am finally becoming aware of what is “going on” with me and above all, I am “aware” of what an eating disorder is. I realise how hard I have to fight to get this under control. With a lot of trial and error, I experience every day that I am walking the right path, although it mostly takes a lot of commitment and courage. And yet, surrounded by the warm people of “Empathie”, my close family and some friends for whom I have boundless admiration, I realise that it is worth it! Step by step, I am now detaching myself from that false sense of security that admission to the psychiatric wards gave me. As a result, I feel there is still a future for me, which is gradually giving me more breathing space, freedom of choice and, above all, real solutions.

M (53 years old)