Prior to coming to college, many people are confident about who they are, what they want and more importantly, they are convinced they are secure in how they look. However, the road to self-discovery almost always has a few obstacles along the way.
Singer, songwriter, author and speaker Jenni Schaefer, who was diagnosed with bulimia/anorexia, discussed her battle with "Ed," whose initials stand for eating disorder, in a lecture Thursday evening in the Business Administration building.
The lecture is just one of many events that took place during Tech's Feed Your Body and Soul Week. The Texas native uses her 20-year battle with eating disorders to reach out to people who share her previous struggle with the disease.
Schaefer was inspired by psychotherapist and author Thom Rutledge, who suggested Schaefer view the disease as a relationship. Hence, the name "Ed."
Once she "divorced" "Ed," Schaefer began her quest to find the road to recovery and decided to share her experiences with others in a book titled "Life Without Ed: How One Woman Declared Independence From her Eating Disorder and How You Can Too."
The book contains everyday exercises to help readers follow that same road. In addition to the book, Schafer also has an inspirational song by the same title and plans to release an accompanying album that features other singers who have overcome the disease, including Winona Judd and "American Idol" winner Kelly Clarkson.
Schaefer first heard what she calls a "voice" when she was 4 years old. She explained how at a young age she already was comparing herself to the other little girls in her ballet class.
Although Schaefer does not like to blame the media for eating disorders, she does believe it contributes to the distorted image of beauty. She also emphasized the importance of realizing that eating disorders affect everyone, regardless of age, gender or ethnicity.
"These images we constantly see are not real. Most of these women on the covers of magazines are airbrushed," Schaefer said.
She went on to explain how even the most innocent toy can be a key component in distorted images.
"I didn't want to look like my mother or my teachers or my aunts," she said. "I wanted to look like Barbie."
As she got older, the voices became more vocal and more influential on her daily life. Once Schaefer entered high school in Flower Mound, her eating disorder was in complete control of her life - although she was not aware she had a disorder.
"I had to be perfect," she said. "An A for me wasn't a 98 or 97; it was a 100."
This, Schaefer said, is where a lot of misconceptions about eating disorders come from.
Most people think eating disorders only deal with food, she said. In reality, eating disorders have many contributing factors, including physical and sexual abuse, underlying depression and - the one most true for Schaefer - the need to be considered perfect in Western culture.
It was not until Schaefer decided to take a year off before attending medical school in Dallas and moved to Nashville, Tenn., that she began seeking adequate help, which is where she met Rutledge and where she formally was introduced to "Ed."
Rutledge explained that by treating "Ed" as if it were a real person gave Schaefer her own voice, and she did not have to rely on his "voice" to make her feel important anymore.
"I realized that I am my own person, with my own ideas," Schaefer said. "I have my own unique thoughts. I am not my eating disorder."
She described Ed as most girls describe unhealthy relationships. He was abusive and condescending, yet she couldn't get out off the relationship. Ed made her feel like she was special, simply because she was the thinnest girl in the room.
After ending a long, abusive relationship with "Ed," Schaefer said she fully is recovered and now knows how to deal with her emotions in ways that are beneficial to her. Students found Schaefer's message inspirational and uplifting.
"She had a lot of good advice for people who are struggling with this, and she let people know that there is hope and that you can find triumph in situations like this," said Shynequa Bell, a freshman fashion design major from Honolulu.
Inspiration, hope and humor all are parts of Schaefer's methods. She hopes to continue to raise awareness about eating disorders and help people realize when they need help.
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