Story Of Hope: Meet Gabby

There’s a common misconception that people in helping professions shouldn’t need help. But that’s exactly the situation I found myself in last fall.

I’d struggled with disordered eating patterns since my teens and had been working with a dietician for a while to try to manage it. She noticed the emotional and psychological layers beneath my behaviors and encouraged me to see a therapist. At the same time, I was stuck in a toxic work environment that intensified my struggles and unhealthy habits. Not long after starting therapy, things spiraled quickly, and I reached a point of barely functioning. Unable to get out of bed or leave the house, it was clear that I needed more support to get to a place where food wasn’t controlling my life.

With my background in social services, I knew how difficult it could be to find quality treatment. Not to mention the long waitlists and how daunting the process often felt. But HopeWay responded with urgency and compassion, and within four days, I started treatment in the Young Adult Eating Disorder Day Program.

The thing about eating disorders is that they really distort your view of yourself. At first, I couldn’t fully acknowledge what I was going through. I couldn’t say the words – didn’t want to believe I was really struggling with an eating disorder. I showed up, but stayed in the role of the helper, supporting others in the program and avoiding my own needs.

Then came the turning point. During a group session, a therapist I deeply trusted challenged me in a way I’d never experienced before. I realized I couldn’t keep helping others if I wasn’t willing to help myself first. That was the leap: trusting a team of people who saw me clearly when I couldn’t see myself. They weren’t just treating symptoms. They were helping me believe that my life was worth taking care of.

Everything about HopeWay – its staff, the welcoming setting, the connection with other clients – made healing feel like something I wanted to do, not had to do. The 9-5 structure and routine of the program helped bring back stability I hadn’t felt since the chaos of being a pandemic kid. Life began to feel normal again. I made forever friendships. I found a new job I love. And for the first time in years, I feel functional, healthy, and hopeful.

In a world that celebrates perfection and productivity, asking for help can feel like a radical act. But walking through HopeWay’s doors wasn’t just an act of courage – it was an act of faith. In them, in healing, and ultimately, in myself.