Testimonials
Testimonial Maria
My name is Maria; I am 18 years old and attend the 8th grade in Graz.
How were things before treatment, and how did you and your family choose this course of action?
Before treatment, I was not doing well and didn’t want to admit that I had an eating disorder. When my father suggested the treatment, I refused to accept help, because I was convinced that I could get healthy on my own. I had tried this in the past but was unsuccessful every time, and my situation had only gotten worse. I was finally persuaded because my parents and I knew things could not continue this way. I knew that improvement would not come on its own, and I would have to do something in order to get better.
What was the beginning of treatment like for you (how easy or difficult was it to get started)? What did you find helpful about the online treatment?
It was hard for me to start treatment. Part of me tried to resist or to think of ways I could cheat my way through treatment because I didn’t want to let go of my habits. Despite this, it didn’t take long before my day-to-day life had completely changed. I began to come out of my comfort zone, which was completely new and scary for me.
How well were you able to integrate the treatment into everyday life?
It was easy to integrate into everyday life. Since I always have my mobile phone with me, it was easy to communicate with the team. The good thing about the online treatment was that I could always go to the platform to get my thoughts out, no matter what time it was.
How often were you in contact with your therapy team? Daily?
On most days, I wrote one or two messages to the team. I asked about all kinds of things that were preoccupying me or had raised doubts in my mind.
At what point did you notice that the treatment had changed to something positive?
I noticed a change very quickly. At the beginning, it was, of course, not easy at all; it took a couple of weeks before I realized that the change was a positive one. Then I could think more clearly and definitely felt more free.
How are you doing now, and how did the transition go after the end of the program?
I am doing much better now than before treatment. I now see that I was really sick, and I have the feeling that I can think normally again. I did not completely get rid of my illness in these 3 months, but I now know what I need to do to continue to improve.
Is there anything else that you would like to share about the time you spent with the NoTube team?
I think that everyone could benefit from accepting expert help. It isn’t just important but most often necessary. Even though I felt like I knew how one ‘should’ eat and what ‘healthy’ is, I could not have fought my eating disorder alone. In the three months of treatment, I had to let go of my own beliefs and trust the knowledge of others.