| I grew up in a beautiful
home with loving parents and two older sisters. There were problems,
of course, but I had it good. I went to a prestigious prep school,
played varsity sports and was president of my school my senior year.
I received a BA from Amherst College. Nevertheless,
by the age of 21, I had hit bottom from the diseases of compulsive
eating and alcoholism. After trying everything I could think of
to overcome my outward symptoms and inner turmoil, including OA,
AA, treatment, retreats, eating disorders therapy, self-help books,
and diet and exercise, I still couldn’t stop the self-destruction
for any length of time, nor did I have any kind of peace. I feared
I was hopeless. I thought I would have to spend the rest of my life
battling food, fat, and the insanity of obsession without any lasting
reprieve.
Thankfully, God put a person in my life who actually
helped me find a way up and out. Roy was someone who had overcome
the problem of compulsive eating, among other addictions. He taught
me how to treat myself with love and respect and to care for myself
instead of depending on others to take care of me. He helped me
to develop spiritual disciplines that were personal to me and which
brought me serenity. He helped me to get clear about what was working
in my life and what I needed to let go of in order to have peace.
He helped me to love myself and others. Most importantly, he has
helped me to develop a personal relationship with God that is a
constant source of strength and inspiration for me.
I believe God gave Roy a gift for helping others,
because he helped me when no one else could, and I’ve seen
miracles happen in others’ lives on account of him. Roy is
still my mentor today, helping me to live a more sane and useful
life. I am not cured of compulsive overeating, but one day at a
time I have freedom from the compulsion to overeat. I do not fight
food or alcohol, or other self-destructive tendencies. But I’m
clear that I can’t accomplish this on my own, and I can’t
do it without help from someone who has experienced the same problems
as me, and has overcome them. This life is a spiritual journey,
and it has helped me to have a spiritual guide—someone who
has traveled this journey farther down the road than me—to
help me negotiate the peaks and valleys.
Thanks to the rich education I’ve gain
from this experience, through the years I have been able to speak
publicly on the topic of addictions and eating disorders. I have
also been fortunate to be an entrepreneur in the fields of health,
nutrition, and marketing, and have written several articles on the
subject.
Feeling compelled to raise worldwide public awareness
about this unique process called Metasteps, in April of 2000 I founded
Be Totally Free!, the outreach organization which seeks to effectively
and systematically reach people who are suffering from all addictions.
I have been given the opportunity to carry this message on various
local and national health programs on radio and television.
People who are looking for a way out of their pain
need a real friend; someone they can talk to, someone who genuinely
cares, and someone who can actually help them. I, along with the
many others who have experienced this incredible gift, and who helped
me put together this website, hope that you, too, will be inspired
to reach out for help to “be totally free!” God has
healed us, and we want to make that help available to anyone else
who may need it and want it. Thanks for visiting our site…may
our paths meet along this journey or recovery!
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