Share Your Stories About Courage
I wanted to let you guys and girls know about a new project I am starting. Basically, I am writing a book about “Courage,” my song on our Beauty From Pain record about my eating disorder (read my story here), and what I want to include in my book are some of those amazing stories many of you have shared with me over the years about how the song has helped you. I believe that when we go through something like this in our lives we need to share it with others and let them know they are not alone.
So if you have something you would like to share and have considered for inclusion in my book, please send your story to me at courage@superchickonline.com. You can choose to remain anonymous, or just use first names.
I think we can all help even more people who have these same struggles with weight, identity, appearance or self-esteem by letting our stories be heard. Let’s unite and make a positive change in the world!
Much love
Melissa
courage@superchickonline.com
Great idea; I think I’ll write something myself. I look forward to seeing the book in stores.
“Sometimes in this life we walk on broken glass, and sometimes Jesus carries us.”
Comment by Vicky — 5/17/2010 @ 4:39 pm
Melissa you should be proud that you have admitted to the eating disorder that you’ve battled. I too am currently in a good place with my relationship with food. I have battled anorexia for approx. 15 years. It started when I was pregnant with my third child. It got so bad after he was born that I was weak and felt faint all the time. I’d start eating again and then go right back to avoiding food purposefully to “shed a few pounds” for whatever the reason I told myself. Summer is coming or I had an event coming up and had to fit in that dress. You know what I’m talking about. Then it would just become a daily thing to avoid food. I recently admitted it to my therapist and Psychiatrist and requested to see a Nutritionist for help. I became weak and faint again and developed IBS and all kinds of digestive problems. I knew that I needed to address the issue personally and of course in my relationship with God. He has given me the strength and hope to believe that I am His child; made in His image and just fine the way I am. Food is energy, strength, and essential for the brain and organs to work properly. I look at food as fuel now. In the past couple of months I am eating small frequent meals throughout the day and even enjoy cake and brownies if I want. God bless you for sharing your story; I know that there are others out there suffering in silence with their pain. It is so freeing to share and talk about it. I too want to reach those that are battling self esteem issues that lead to destructive habits. I pray that what you are doing brings a bright light on the issue and leads those in need of release to deliverance. God bless you Melissa!
Comment by Deborah — 5/17/2010 @ 5:14 pm
Hi, Melissa!
I think I’ve got a story to share. But it’s not about an eating disorder. Is that okay?
Comment by Ellie — 5/17/2010 @ 6:56 pm
I have a story about some of my struggles in life but it is not about an eating disorder. It is about abuse and depression. Is that ok?
Comment by Lauren — 5/18/2010 @ 1:39 am
i have sent an email with my story. it is kind of long even though i tried to cut some parts short. i apologize if it is too long. i dont know if you can use it – but i thank you fr your words, your story and your song. you have hit a spot in my heart because i can relate to your words more than you can ever know.
Comment by Susan — 5/18/2010 @ 5:03 pm
“Courage” is a song that I skipped on my Superchick playlist for a long time – I just didn’t like it for some reason. A few months ago, it came up in my random mix when I was on a long drive and I really listened to it the first time and it…touched me. ESPECIALLY the last verse (“You should know: You’re not on your own / These secrets are walls that keep us alone…”)
I’m not anorexic and I never have been – I’m bipolar. But I’ve still had to deal with body image. I was a skinny, bony beanpole all my life until a few years after I graduated high school. Shortly I moved to a new state (where I didn’t have any friends) I gained 70 pounds VERY quickly because of side effects of some new bipolar medication I was put on.
I got off that medication as quickly as I could but the weight didn’t come off. The weight stuck on me in weird places and all of a sudden everyone, from the checker at Walmart to random people on the street, were asking me when my baby was due. One woman told me I looked like I was about six months along.
I’ve never been pregnant.
I broke down and cried every time that happened, broke down and cried right there in public, because I didn’t know how to deal with it.
After some very intense therapy sessions I’ve learned how to deal with people asking about my “pregnancy” (because that continues to this day). And last December I found a boyfriend who loves me just as I am and doesn’t want me to change ANYTHING about my body unless there’s something I want to change. When I close my eyes, in my mind I still see my body skinny and bony, since it was like that most of my life. But now I don’t cry when I open my eyes. Now I’m okay with how I look. Listening to Courage and all of Superchick’s other songs over and over has helped me instill in myself and remind myself of the fact that I am beautiful, no matter what I look like.
I’ll be sending you an email, Melissa.
Comment by Tracie — 5/19/2010 @ 8:06 pm
I don’t get Operation Beautiful. I mean it sound amazing but I don’t know what to do. We just put post-it notes in bathrooms and stuff saying ‘Your beautiful’ or what?
luv
lia
Comment by Alia — 5/20/2010 @ 12:38 pm
Yes. I say stuff like “When you ask yourself this question ‘Am I beautiful’? There is only 2 possible answers 1 Yes and 2 Yes!!” I put it in the fitting rooms at clothing stores and stuff. Melissa – you story is very encouraging. I am 135 lbs and 12. I know it is overwieght, but I am currently getting more excercise. I don’t get enough. I have almost became anorexic but then I went to the youth retreat w/ my church youth group. My youth pastor had us yell I WILL PRAISE YOU FOR I AM BEAUTIFULLY AND WONDERFULLY MADE!!! As loud and we could and I cried. I had shared my feelings of being fat with no one until then. I still struggle. But every time I think that I am fat I hear God telling me I am wonderful and that I shouldn’t change because he made me the way he wants me. Thank you for shareing.
Mandy
Comment by Amanda — 5/21/2010 @ 2:26 pm
I just wanted to say THANK YOU for writing Courage. As a sufferer of anorexia, I cannot tell you how much this song has helped me in recovery. I didn’t understand much of the song until I read your story, and once I did the song definitely helped express what I was feeling, and gave me the write words to explain to others how bad anorexia hurts. Many girls lives have been changed by your story Melissa and I know I can speak for all of them in saying thank you for writing it.
Comment by Jenn — 5/24/2010 @ 2:46 pm
Hi i just wanted to say thank you for your encouraging story. I used to live in an abusive houshold and when we moved out i thought it would get better, but i became anorexic and started cutting. It has been 3 years since then, but almost everyday i think to myself, how ugly and how fat i am. i just dont know what to do, im not struggling with the cutting or anorexia, but self-confidence is lacking. and people tell me rely on God. and i do, but hate the way i look. i work out 3 times a day and eat healthy, and still feel fat.
Comment by Reba — 5/26/2010 @ 10:03 am
Hi my name is Selena, and i hae a friend that shall remain nameless that does not feel beautiful. I try to tell her but she doesnt beleive it at all. She is vietnamese and its not really frowned upon in her family to be a bigger size but it is very dissapointing, especially to her mother. For graduation her mom was telling her if she were my size or the size of one of the other girls in my class it would be easier to find a dress. The truth is sometimes its hard for thinner girls to fit things because we cant fill in dresses somtimes, but thats ok because thats how we are made. I wish I could make her pain go away but i dont know what to tell her anymore. I need major advice…Please!:/
Comment by Selena — 6/9/2010 @ 9:11 pm
hi uh … i feel well i feel sort of like you did when you were younger. not picture perfect not skinny enough. i have a friend thats tall and pretty and she looks like she’s sixteen. i feel ugly. i look in the mirror and criticize myself. Sometimes i dont eat. that song courage really speaks but i stil need help. i’m not really anorexic but i wish i could be taller like my friend. prettier like her.skinnier…
Comment by Lexy — 6/26/2010 @ 10:01 am
I love this song so much I’ve suffered for 3 years and a couple of days ago I got the whole 2nd verse tattoed down my ribs in Arabic cos the words resemble exactly how I feel.
Comment by Harriett Williams — 7/5/2010 @ 4:22 am
Melissa, I wish i could get help like ur friend did. See, i have had a eating disorder for 5 years. But nobody knows that i do i ahve kept it secert for soooo long. It hurts so much to see my friends eat without feeling guilty i wish i could be like them. I got down to about 70 pounds when i had to force myself to gain weight or people would find out. I need help so bad but i don’t want it. This song descibes my life
Comment by Bree Sharpe — 9/19/2010 @ 10:52 pm
I recently (like a few weeks ago) realized I have been flirting with anorexia. It mostly started I think because of losing the control I had when I was involved with self-injury, and on top of that losing most of my friends for various reasons all at once. I really like the line “you should know you’re not on your own” because it reminds me that no matter how alone I feel that God is always there for me.
Comment by ~VA~ — 12/6/2010 @ 6:44 pm
Melissa…it takes a lot of nerve to share the story of your struggle with the world. I’m so sorry that you had to go through that.
I’m not anorexic. I’m not anorexic. I’m not anorexic. I’m not anorexic.
Maybe if I say it enough times, someone will believe me.
From the doctors: “You’re too thin, you’re losing weight, your medications aren’t doing their job, this isn’t okay.”
From the psychologists: “You need to eat more, this is a problem, your body image is distorted, you don’t understand what we see when we look at you, it’s unhealthy.”
From my family: “Stop being ridiculous, eat your dinner, there will be consequences, we can make you eat, you are killing our family.”
From my friends: “…You’re too thin. We’re concerned about you.”
They’re overreacting. Yes, I’ve lost a bit of weight…but not that much. I look in the mirror, and it hardly shows at all. Apparently, people think that it matters A LOT more than it should. Classmates spontaneously ask my friends–”Is it just me, or is ***** a lot skinnier than she was last year?” They wouldn’t say anything if I had gained weight, so why loss? Girls comment on the way I eat–”That’s all? Wow, even *I* eat more than that.”
Sure, I’ve dropped a size or two in jeans. Yes, I wear oversized clothes. Does that condemn me? Changing in the locker room is a nightmare–the other girls stare and whisper at my ribs, my hipbones, even my spine if I turn my back. I re-gift my food at lunch.
I’m not anorexic. I’m not anorexic. I’m not anorexic. I’m not anorexic.
Maybe if I say it enough times, I’ll believe it myself.
Comment by walls.of.glass — 1/26/2011 @ 2:56 pm
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by annacarol sc, Superchick. Superchick said: If Courage has helped u, Melissa is writing a book about it & would love to hear your stories.Get more info here: http://bit.ly/couragebook [...]
Pingback by Tweets that mention Superchick ยป Share Your Stories About Courage -- Topsy.com — 2/21/2011 @ 3:06 pm
I was a recovering/relapsing anorexic until two of my sisters in christ prayed for me at my church weekend away the other day. I feel free…. Stand in the Rain gave me the hope to live
Comment by blueskysandbutterflies — 4/3/2011 @ 9:45 am
Yo, thanks so much Melissa! I totaly want to buy your book when your done. I think your a great writer!
I sent you an email of my story, but it is really long. I tried to shorten it down but it’s stiil pretty long. I’m really sorry if you can’t use it but it would mean alot if you read it.
Comment by Elizabeth — 7/12/2011 @ 3:23 pm