Speech

This was the most personal thing i have ever told anyone about my sister and our relationship. I am including it to give you an idea of what our relationship was like.

Motivational speech

Have you ever had anyone close to you that has had an eating problem? When I was 10 until the age I was 15 I had to deal with my sister and her eating problems. When I was 14 at camp my older sister came up to me and said “Danni I haven’t eaten in 2 months. I starved myself for two days and now I don’t get hungry.” I looked at her and realized I could count every single one of her bones in her body. I should have told my parents should have told her she has to eat years before that day but at that second I new she couldn’t get better by herself. I shouldn’t have waited all those years I should have intervened sooner; if I did maybe she wouldn’t have been sent away maybe she would have been my friend for another year. I can’t take back waiting all those years and lies I told for her but here, today I can try to persuade you to help your close friends and loved ones. Hi, I am Danni and today I am going to motivate you help people dealing with eating disorders.

To start off here is a list of reasons for you to help your friends:

First: because If you don’t they can eventually die

Second: if you don’t help them instead of going to an eating therapist or working through the issues with there family they will have to be hospitalized or sent away maybe for year or two.

Third: your relationship with the person will never be the same, you may not talk or you may still be friends but there will always be a huge gap of disappointment between you

He or she may be asking why didn’t you help me you’re my friend you’re supposed to look out for me, why didn’t you take care of me. And all you will be wondering is why did you do this to yourself, to us? It is not my job to save you your not my responsibility? And slowly the gap gets bigger and bigger until you can’t look at each other until your not talking until your not friends.

Fourth: because is wont only affect you and her it will affect her family and friend groups. There will be tension and questions everywhere you go.

The fifth reason is because you should care.

When confronting the person with the disorder you are best to have other friends with you. You don’t want to be rude or call her to skinny, but also you don’t want to be nice and tell her she looks great because when you have and eating disorder your self esteem is really low. You do not want the victim of the disorder to think not eating is the best option or to think she is ugly or too skinny because that could lead to drastic measures. You have to be compassionate and sympathetic, you have to put yourself in their shoes you have to tell them that you love them no mater what and you can’t let her go through with it. You can not skip the point of the conversation or be unclear with what you’re saying. You have to be straightforward and say what your concerns are. You have to listen to them without judgment, anger or criticism. Never start a fight if they are in denial just say how much you care again. Maybe you can make an information booklet about places to go to get help but often the parent like being responsible for those decisions. After all of this if they still deny the issue you have to realize it is the illness talking and not them so you have to go to a guardian.

In time if not right away you will no you saved there life and even if the person hates you for confronting them or telling your parents you should no they will always be thankful to you. Saving a friend and loosing them is always better then loosing them without trying to save them at all.

In Canada, 1 in 4 teenage girls have an eating disorder. In America 1 in every 3 girls has an eating disorder. We have a social epidemic on our hands and I no everyone would help because, it is in us to help, and it is in us to try. As human beings we all care and we all can relate to the feelings of each other.

My sister is currently at school in Toronto and has applied for universities all over the world. She has overcome her problems fully. Without me and my family that wouldn’t be possible. However because I waited so long to speak up and tell my parents about her problems my family has suffered so much more then we needed too, and I hope that one day this struggle will just be a distant memory. So today I hope you feel compassionate enough to intervene and help someone with a disorder so they can face the truth.


Because:

We all have that power,

And we all have that strength,

We all have that ability to relate to people,

And we all have that compassion to help people,

We all can change someone’s life.