The Lifter's Project: What is it and Why does it matter?

 Good evening everyone, I hope you are all staying cozy and warm on this chilly December night. As I was thinking this week about what I wanted to write about, I got to the root of the reason why I created this blog: to further my social impact initiative for the Miss Southeastern Pageant- which is now only 47 days away. I can't even believe it! I've waited so long for it to be so close and now it's almost just a month away! Anyways, back to the topic of this post. 

The Lifter's Project. What is it? It's my social impact initiative. Every contestant in almost every pageant system must have something that is their foundation. It is basically something they stand for and want to teach people about. For example, Miss America 2020, Camille Schrier, hers is "Mind Your Meds" and it focuses on teaching people on how to be mindful about prescription medicines. Mine is the "Lifter's Project", and it integrates my journey through recovery. So many of us see people who are suffering with mental disorders, and eating disorders and we all feel for them, but once they are recovering, they have support but there's no control over when they may relapse. 

I have relapsed myself. Relapsing is a setback in recovery where someone goes back to the ways that they're used to. This happened to me a ton with my eating disorder. I would be okay for a month, and then starve myself for two. That took me a long time to get under control and once I relapsed so many times, I was considered an attention seeker by many people that I knew. My support system weakened and I was effectively left alone to recover on my own. Although I did usually keep my struggles to myself until late into the game, people still saw me as an attention seeker. During college stress, it was hard NOT to relapse, but I had an avenue to divert that stress. I was able to talk to a counselor on my college's campus, my counselor, the first time I ever talked to her, she showed me that it's alright to struggle, but don't struggle alone because that's what hurts your recovery process. Relapsing is a thing that happens in the process of recovery, but it's your ability to become aware of your triggers that may cause a relapse. 

What's a trigger? Something that will make you dive headfirst back into the old life. Triggers may be major life changes, such as moving, losing a family member or a pet, a break up, work stress, parental stress. The list can seriously go on and on. If you're worried about someone, or even yourself that you or them may be relapsing, there are certain things to look out for: 

Too much, too little sleep

Throwing oneself into work to bury any feelings (this is what I did on a regular basis)

Not taking care of yourself (not showering, not changing clothes, no brushing the hair etc).

An increase in risk taking behaviors (Spending excess money, or excessive drinking). 

This is where the "Lifter's Project" comes in. One day I was talking to my boyfriend about it and I was explaining to him about it and how I wanted to bring awareness to the mental disorder scene and he looked at me and said: " Lily, people ARE aware. Why don't you pick something that people don't know much about?"

And then...it hit me. Why don't I talk about recovery. I went through it pretty blindly until I reached college and I didn't have that support system. The Lifter's Project is meant to be the foundation for people of any age to have that support system from someone who was in their shoes, because I know what it's like to be alone. It's not fun. So many people focus on the beginning of these disorders, the middle parts, the good bits of it where it's scientific and figuring out medicines that might one day cure it, but they don't look at the now of it and look into the people's faces who have been suffering by themselves for far too long. They need support groups, they need that person they can go to when they are at the lowest and thinking they've broken every rule in recovery. 

I want to be that person, the Lifter's Project is the foundation for something bigger than me. I am hoping to grow it to a nonprofit where I can help people who can't go anymore by themselves. Because that's important to me. 

If no one has told you today, you're awesome. If you've made it this far into my blog I just want to say thank you for sticking with me. It means so much being able to see the readership just grow in numbers. You have no idea how much that means to me. I am proud o you. Stay safe out there and you're beautiful.