Bradley University welcomes Stacy Pershall to celebrate National Eating Disorder Awareness Week
Active Minds and the BU Body Project come together to celebrate National Eating Disorder Awareness Week (NEDA) with speaker Stacy Pershall.
“You can’t set yourself on fire to keep someone else warm.”
Stacy Pershall of Prairie Grove, Arkansas, joined the BU Body Project and Active Minds Chapter to raise awareness of mental health, eating disorders and to share her story.
February 22, 2023, she flew from New York City to Bradley University to speak to students of Bradley about her story, and how to overcome these problems many university students struggle with.
Why bring Pershall to campus?
Pershall grew up in a small town where mental health treatment was rarely spoken of. As a result of this, her symptoms of Borderline Personality Disorder went unnoticed for 30 years of her life. Through eating disorders, suicide attempts, and advocating for herself, she was finally diagnosed at the age of 30 and began the treatment of dialectical behavior therapy. She proved she could save herself from this disorder.
Pershall has now spent the last 11 years of her life spreading awareness of mental health disorders for Active Minds nationwide, a non-profit organization that focuses on mental health.
“The one thing that made people take my pain seriously was attempting suicide.” -Stacy Pershall
Pershall shared her story with the students in attendance, then opened the floor for anonymous questions from the audience. These questions were sent in through an anonymous website.
Significance to students at Bradley University
At the end of Pershall’s presentation, I asked fellow audience members why they conquered the rain and came to the speaker. Eva Gocheva, a sophomore, said, “I came to learn more about mental health and eating disorders in support of my sister. I want to be the best help I can for her.”
It’s okay to not be okay.
If you have any problems with body image or mental health, consider joining the BU Body Project or the Active Minds Chapter on campus.