Image: Grace Tufte is a first-year at the University of Minnesota studying accounting and finance. “With years of treatment and an assigned bed in the hospital, I have many techniques to overcome daily battles with this mental disease,'” Tufte said. (Courtesy of Grace Tufte)
Grace Tufte is a first-year student majoring in accounting and finance. She was diagnosed with anorexia nervosa at 10 years old at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester.
“With years of treatment and an assigned bed in the hospital, I have many techniques to overcome daily battles with this mental disease.
With being part of those who have recovered, overwhelming thoughts will come and go as the days pass. The hardest struggle is stressful days, where I was trained in therapy that eating will cure my problems (because it did at that time), however now I resort to food when I’m stressed, sad, angry, you name it.
It is a constant battle in my head on stressful college days whether or not food will help or not. Outside of school is now not a problem.
When I was diagnosed with this disease, I had to listen to many opinions coming from those who didn’t know half of the story. But since I was 10 and they were 30, they thought they must know more about the situation than I.
When unnecessary thoughts come into my head, I do lean to tactics I was taught in multiple therapy sessions. I also have a strong faith and lean towards God in the hardest times.
Tactics I used were eating every three hours in small amounts rather than three controlled meals, tapping each arm with the opposite hand, pointing out the same colored items in the room to distract myself, listening to podcasts or filling my mind with activities.”
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Interview conducted by Marlee Louden.