Sadie Robertson is one of the most beloved members of the “Duck Dynasty” cast, and like the rest of her family, she always speaks her mind and never hides anything from her fans.
On her blog “Live Original,” Robertson chronicles the daily struggles of her walk with faith in the limelight, and encourages her fans to always seek and trust in God. She also lays bare some of her most personal testaments, and in her most recent blog post she revealed that immediately after her run on “Dancing With the Stars,” she “struggled with an eating problem connected to a negative body image for about a year.”
That Robertson struggled with an eating disorder will likely come as a surprise to many. But as she writes, she felt “led to share after recently finding out that 97 % of women have struggled with negative body image issues.” Additionally, Robertson explains that her eating disorder stemmed from something that millions of people struggle with daily: anxiety and fear. And, as is often the case with eating disorders, it developed out of a desperate need for control:
“I have heard it said that people develop eating disorders because it is something they can control in their life. That makes so much sense in my case, because during this particular time, so much in my life felt out of my control.”
Robertson reveals that her obsession with her body image became so bad that, “At least five times a day, I would wrap my hands around my thighs, making sure they hadn’t grown beyond what I could reach.” It’s heartbreaking to hear that someone as faithful and strong as Robertson struggled with something so dark, but it just goes to prove that this can happen to anyone.
But what’s even more amazing about Robertson’s post is that she doesn’t place blame on anyone for her struggle. Instead, she owns up to the fact that she had misplaced her self-worth in her social media presence and “allowed all of my ugly thoughts and insecurities to manifest a spirit of fear, jealousy and deception, and it stopped me from seeing the world around me clearly.” But when Robertson remembered that true beauty lies in the heart – and with God – she was able to overcome the disorder:
“If it means being ‘less beautiful’ in the world’s eyes, that’s okay with me. As long as I still get to seek out real beauty – the kind that is found in God’s word, and is painted out in the world before me. I will gladly lay myself down at the feet of the Creator, not only to encounter more of the beauty He created in me but to experience the creation He surrounds me with.”
What a beautiful testament and message for Robertson’s young fans: Place your self-worth in God, not in what you see in the mirror or on social media, and you’ll find true happiness.
H/T: Liftable
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