Get ready, because this talk is a roller coaster ride.
I purge my "secret" so that others can understand what this disease feels
like, and know that recovery is possible. You will walk away
knowing warning signs and how to get help for yourself or someone you
love before it's too late.
We all have secrets. You or people you know are
struggling right now, in silence, with eating disorders, depression, mental illness,
credit card abuse, addictions, etc. We are screaming inside for help, but don't know
how to ask! My story and poem
"Perfect" give us a
bridge to start the
conversation...and to start the recovery.
When I speak, I like to have a
white porcelain toilet on stage instead of a podium. Like the proverbial elephant in the
room. It's funny, it's raw, and it puts it right out there for people to
deal with. It makes it okay for all of us to share secrets and not “be perfect”.
I want people to laugh, to cry and to change. After every talk I've
given, people have spoken up to reveal that they too need help.
Eating disorders are a raging epidemic in our culture.
There are incredible pressures on both women and men to look and be "perfect"! We’re bombarded
with messages in the media that say “skinny is the ideal” and
that you’re not a good person unless you’re a size zero. Well,
“zero” literally means you’re disappearing! Five year old kids
today are saying
“I’m fat”. And that’s crazy.
My own struggle started as an over-achieving, chubby
little girl with big dreams in Portland Oregon. Then I became a
mother and a working actress for over twenty years in a size zero
Hollywood. Talk about pressure. To deal with it, I spent thirty
years with my head hanging over a toilet, and nobody ever knew. When my daughter
fainted in school from her own E.D., I knew the cycle had to stop with me.
The hardest
thing I ever did was to
make the call and ask for help. But once I told my “secret” and
give up “perfect” my whole
life opened up!
And that’s the best thing I could ever wish for you too. To live your
most amazing life!
Remember… every moment you have a choice. To go
towards your dream or away from it. Please don’t settle for less than
wonderful. And don’t give up five minutes before the miracle!
Here's to making a difference together...
Barbara
ps -- I wrote the poem "Perfect"
during one of my worst times. I have since learned that "Perfect" is an
impossible goal and sets yourself up for failure. Please click on the
link to read it, and then if it strikes a chord, share it with someone
you love.
Note: Barbara just finished a speaking and
media tour in Michigan. She spoke to over 2,000 students at junior
highs, high schools and the University of Michigan. Photos and
articles from the press will be posted soon. Thank you to all of
you who made it happen! Together we are making a difference!
For more information on
topics, availability & fees
or if you'd like to sponsor a
speaking/media tour:
Partial client list: United Auto Workers
General Motors
Ford
ValueOptions
CIGNA
Screen Actors Guild
University of Michigan
Eating Disorder Awareness Seminar - Columbus, OH
Lapeer Community Schools - Michigan
St. Clair Shores School - Michigan
