Hey Guys, it’s Char! How are you! It’s been a long time and I apologise for that!

I wanted to write this blog about my experience with an Eating disorder as a Christian. This can be such a taboo subject in religious communities but it really shouldn’t be so I am here to shed some light on this topic. I talked about this on my Instagram but by recommendation, I decided to do a more detailed blog on here.

As some of you guys now, I was diagnosed with Anorexia Nervosa, a restrictive eating disorder, when I was 12 years old, 6 months after I joined my current church. My church youth leaders were indeed the first people to realise I was struggling with an Ed, however, I hoped against hope that no one else would find out. I felt so ashamed. So ungodly. And it really hindered my recovery after hospital.

Some of my previous youth leaders ridiculed me for asking questions and opening up about so called taboo subjects that I have experienced or have been wondering about. This led my mindset to become secretly curious and also distressing. Therefore, I still struggle to open up to church goers, even though I trust them.

There is a controversial myth that an eating disorder is a sin to many, many people in these communities. Whilst this is most probably false teaching, it really, really hurt me as a Christian. Not only had I just got out of hospital, I was a healthy weight and I felt like a fake, adding more to the feeling of invalidity in my disorder.

Eating disorders are NOT US. They are extremely addictive,almost like a drug and lust for control. Illness is not a sin and an ED Is an illness, not a choice. Therefore, it is not ok to do someone over in the context of sin just because they have an ED.

Jesus paid the price for all illness, all sin, of all time, just the once on the cross.

Once I realised this, I began to heal. I began to open up more, even sharing a deeply personal testimony at my baptism. By no means am I saying I am 100% healed or that it’s easy, but Jesus is my foundation and he will carry you while you work things out.

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, ² because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you^[a] free from the law of sin and death.

Romans 8;1-2

Feel free to check out this post on my Instagram @positivelycharlotte.

God bless and keep safe,

Lotts xx