According to the National Eating Disorder Association, in the United States, 30 million Americans will suffer from an eating disorder at some point in their lives. Eating disorders affect people of all genders, body sizes, ages, socio-economic statuses and racial/ethnic identities. It most often develops in adolescence and young adulthood. That is where the money raised and collected at Rooted Collective 101 and Naturally Empowered Living wants to focus on.
February was Eating Disorder Awareness Month. During that month, Brooke and JP Paulson (Rooted Collective 201) teamed up with Jenna Smith (Naturally Empowered Living) to raise money by selling $1 paper hearts. This idea came from the love story that started it all between Brooke and JP, how a simple paper heart given in high school has grown into the life they have together. In selling those paper hearts, they were able to raise $1,000 with all of the proceeds going towards “education, awareness, and recovery support for those navigating eating disorders” Brooke wrote on a Facebook post.
“There is such a lack of knowledge and resources on this specific issue,” Brooke said.
This specific subject is very personal for both Brooke and Jenna. Brooke has been in recovery for over a year after enduring an eating disorder for decades. Jenna dealt with an eating disorder for five years before turning to alcohol and then finally having an awakening on the damage she knew she was inflicting.
“There is a lot of embarrassment around it. It is a private, internal battle that is not talked about. It is an unhealthy coping mechanism,” Brooke said.
According to the National Eating Disorder Association, there is no single cause of an eating disorder. Rather, it is a complex combination of biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors that converge and set off an individual’s predisposed genetic vulnerability.
“Eating disorders are not about food. It is about controlling a piece of your life that you have control over. It is how you have chosen to deal with life,” Brooke said.
Brooke and Jenna are trying to use the money fundraised to spread awareness and get rid of the shame that is associated with this disorder. They want those who may be going through something like this that they are not alone, they don’t need to feel isolated or ashamed.
“It is okay to not have everything figured out in life,” Brooke said.
Jenna said that during her time dealing with the eating disorder, she was not able to understand why what she was doing was happening. She was able to listen to her unmet emotional needs that were festering inside of her. Brooke was able to do the same thing in working with Jenna at Naturally Empowered Living through Root Caused Therapy.
Root Caused Therapy is a holistic, traumainformed healing method designed to uncover and resolve the underlying emotional, subconscious, and energetic roots of mental, physical, or behavioral issues. Jenna is a certified instructor in Instinctive Meditation, Energy Alignment and Root Cause Therapy. Brooke said that in working with Jenna, she was able to listen to her inner voices and thoughts and uncover the feelings she suppressed in her.
Jenna reiterated that she is not a medical professional but this type of therapy is another tool or avenue to help realize the why of how someone could get so deep into a disorder.
“The work she and I have done has definitely helped me internalize why I do what I do,” Brooke said.
“Things can manifest after years of stress,” Jenna said. “I want to do something to prevent that; get to people before they get to that point. I don’t want them to feel so alone.”
Resources for eating disorders are lacking in the area. Roughly 50 percent of individuals with an eating disorder sought out professional help with only about 10-30 percent finding specialized treatment. Both Brooke and Jenna see a shift in body positivity for the good versus in the 90s and early 2000s when the idea of being skinny was good was pushed on adolescents.
“That narrative clearly did a number of people, especially girls’ lives,” Brooke said, speaking from experience. “The earlier we can get out resources the easier it is to get out of an eating disorder.”
Brooke and Jenna have reached out to local school districts trying to figure out what they can do with these funds.
“We understand that the schools are stretched thin,” Brooke said.
“We want to keep it local because this community got together and raised this money,” Jenna said.
They are open to suggestions on what the money can be used towards in support of resources about eating disorders. Those with ideas can email rootedcollective201@gmail.com or stop in at Rooted Collective 201 or Naturally Empowered Living and chat with Brooke, JP, or Jenna. Also, donations are still accepted for those who would still like to contribute.
“We are so grateful for the support. This is a lifelong, isolating disorder and getting into the schools before this behavior continues to take hold is a goal,” Brooke said.