Starved | Page 55

disorder does not have to be something you struggle with for the rest of your life. God graciously extends His hand to anyone willing to receive it. He is willing to do the very same for you. These girls tell their story of how God pulled them out of deception and set them free. These girls chose life, and you can make the same choice. May their stories of mercy bring you hope! Brooklyn's Story I grew up in a loving Christian home, but I felt pressure to always measure up and meet a standard I felt was placed in front of me. From a very young age, I was very concerned with my appearance. When I was around five years old, I can remember having nightmares of a man holding a gun to my head and telling me I had to eat a cookie. I never told anyone about these dreams, thinking they were normal. I did not realize this was abnormal, as I assumed every child had these feelings about food. As I got older, my preoccupation with food, weight, and appearance only got stronger. By middle school, I was determined to be skinny, even though I was not overweight. I thought becoming anorexic was the only way I could obtain the thinness I desired. Even as I desired to be anorexic, I never thought that it would control my life. Around this time, I began seriously testing the waters of eating disorders. I began fasting off and on, just to see how long I could go without food. Afrer giving in to the hunger that consumed me, I attempted to make myself vomit to get rid of the guilt and feeling of failure. At first it was not easy for me, and in my skewed sense of achievement, I was frustrated that 59