Stories of Healing: Daniela
Daniela came to Rock Recovery as a student pursuing her PhD. Unable to afford costly clinical services in Washington, DC, she was desperately seeking for a community of people to understand and support her as she tried to navigate the brutal terrain of eating disorder recovery. Today, after graduating from Rock’s program, Daniela is healthy and thriving.
“There are no words to describe how Rock Recovery (Rock) changed my life. I’d been dealing with an eating disorder way before I came to the United States as a graduate student. Once I was here, the stress and anxiety about my studies, plus a being away from my loved ones exacerbated my disease.
I was a depressed, ashamed and very lonely foreign student without a penny to spend on regular health care, let alone on mental health. It took many blows for me to understand that I could not do this thing called life on my own. I reached out to Rock after googling “eating disorder recovery in the DMV area,” and they got back to me almost immediately.
When Rock took me under its wing, not only did they offer me top notch psychological support, but they supported my broken spirit too. The group therapy was affordable, challenging and incredibly illuminating. While the therapeutic leaders were knowledgeable and skillful therapists, they also embodied the compassion and empathy that I needed the most.
Rock gave me the opportunity to access a part of treatment that in hindsight, I consider indispensable to recovery, community. The bonds that I created with other people who were struggling had a healing power that let me know that I was not alone carrying this darkness. It was an honor to see strong women fight for their lives every Thursday evening, one meal at a time, and still have the strength to lift each other up.
Rock set a safe space for us to follow one of the most basic human needs, eat free of judgment, and especially from our own judgment. Moreover, at group, I felt for the first time in my life that my life mattered, that I belonged and that I was worthy of love, time and attention. When I look back at my darkest moments, I remember that there were people who thought I was worthy of feeling good in my body, that encouraged me to trust myself, and believed in me, the Rock team. I still have moments of doubt and hesitation, but I can seek comfort in healthier habits and not in rules and restrictions. Hunger is no longer my best friend or my shield against the world.
I transitioned out of the group when I returned to my home country, and although I felt that I was ready for the next chapter in my life, I also feared that my recovery was going to suffer. It has been hard to start over, but Rock gave me strong foundations to find the help that I need anywhere I go.
As I write this, I remember the words of Erin, the chaplain at Rock, who used to tell us “you are God’s beloved.” I know that God sent Rock my way, but I also know that God acts through people, through those who go above and beyond their 9 to 5 work, those who volunteer their time and skills, those who give donations out of the generosity of their hearts.
To all of you, please know that your efforts are not in vain… You can pride yourselves in being the building blocks of a community that saves lives and puts together broken hearts. With tears of happiness I want to say thank you, thank you, thank you.” – Daniela