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FIRST WE WANT TO TAKE YOU INSIDE A LOCAL GROUP HOME FOR WOMEN
LEARNING TO OVERCOME THEIR EATING DISORDERS. TALIA HOUSE IN FAIRWAY IN
JOHNSON COUNTY IS A SIX PERSON TRANSITIONAL HOME DESIGNED TO FILL AN UNMET NEED TO, HELP
WOMEN WHO HAVE BEEN RELEASED FROM HOSPITAL FOR ANOREXIA AND BULIMIA BUT ARE NOT QUITE READY
TO RESUME THEIR NORMAL LIVES. MY EATING DISORDER BEGAN WHEN I WAS 12 YEARS OLD.
I REALLY STARTED TO FEEL LIKE SOMETHING WAS MISSING. SO I SLOWLY BEGAN PAYING MORE
ATTENTION TO WHAT I WAS EATING, AND AS I WAS
CUTTING FOODS OUT, MY WEIGHT WAS SHIFTING, AND AS
MY WEIGHT SHIFTED, I STARTED GETTING COMPLIMENTS. I WOULD STARE INTO THE MIRROR
AND START FROM MY HEAD AND GO DOWN MY BODY AND JUST LIST THE THINGS THAT I WANTED TO CHANGE
AND THAT I HATED ABOUT MYSELF. I REMEMBER I JUST STOPPED EATING ONE DAY BECAUSE THINGS
WERE STRESSFUL AT HOME. BEING 9, I DIDN'T THINK ABOUT IT.
I JUST REMEMBER BEING SCARED TO EAT. I REMEMBER ONE TIME I WAS
TOUCHED ON MY ARM BY MY SISTER. SHE HAD RANCH
DRESSING ON HER FINGER, AND AT THAT POINT, I WAS
SO STARVED AND REALLY JUST NOT COGNIZANT OF REALITY, SO DISTORTED, THAT I SCRUBBED MY
ARM. I WAS CONVINCED THAT I WAS GOING TO GAIN WEIGHT THROUGH THAT
CONTACT, AND I SCRUBBED IT UNTIL IT BLED. I HAD TO GET THE RANCH DRESSING
OFF. I JUST COULDN'T ABSORB THOSE CALORIES.
IT WAS JULY 8th THAT I ENDED UP BEING ADMITTED TO A HOSPITAL ON A MEDICAL UNIT.
MY WEIGHT WAS INCREDIBLY LOW. I WAS ABOUT 60% OF MY IDEAL BODY WEIGHT AT THAT TIME.
MY HEART RATE WAS VERY SLOW. I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO DIE. IT WAS MY SISTER'S BIRTHDAY.
I HAD COME HOME FROM THE DOCTOR AND SAID, GOSH, I JUST DON'T THINK THAT I'M GOING TO BE HERE
ANYMORE. I LOVE YOU GUYS SO MUCH. AND I'M SORRY.
WHEN I WAS VERY YOUNG, ABOUT 18, I STARTED
THINKING ABOUT THE TREATMENT OF EATING DISORDERS
AND HOW TO SET PEOPLE UP FOR SUCCESS, AND I ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT AT SOME POINT I WOULD JUST
HAVE A HOME WHERE PEOPLE COULD BE ACCOUNTABLE TO EACH OTHER AND LOVE EACH OTHER AND HAVE
COMMUNITY AND RECOVERY. IN THAT MOMENT, I FELT LIKE IT WAS JUST KIND OF A PIPE DREAM,
PROBABLY WOULDN'T EVER HAPPEN, BUT I JUST THOUGHT THAT THERE IS A BETTER WAY TO DO RECOVERY.
MY BUSINESS PARTNER, AMY AND I, MET OVER COFFEE
AND BEGAN TO DEVELOP A CONCEPT THAT WAS TALIA
HOUSE. TALIA HOUSE IS A THREE-BEDROOM HOME IN FAIRWAY, KANSAS.
WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO HAVE 7 RESIDENTS LIVING WITH US AT A TIME.
WE ALSO HAVE WOMEN WHO COME FOR GROUPS DURING THE MORNING AND MEAL SUPPORT, AND THEN GO BACK
HOME TO THEIR FAMILIES. WE HAVE SO MANY DIFFERENT LEVELS OF CARE, AND THEY ARE ALL SO
NECESSARY, BUT WHAT TENDS TO HAPPEN AS PEOPLE
GO THROUGH THE COURSE OF CARE IS THAT INSURANCE
REALLY STARTS TO MANDATE THEIR WELLNESS. SO BASICALLY, ONCE INSURANCE
RUNS OUT, ONCE PEOPLE RUN OUT OF THEIR RESIDENTIAL BENEFITS, THEY GO HOME TO NO STRUCTURE.
THERE'S REALLY NOTHING IN BETWEEN. EVERYTHING ABOUT TALIA HOUSE
WAS APPEALING, AND THE RESPONSE FROM THE STAFF AND THE OTHER RESIDENTS DURING A GROUP.
AMY TAUGHT ME WHAT FULL MEANT, WHICH SOUNDS SO SILLY, BUT I DIDN'T KNOW, YOU KNOW.
THEY EXPLAINED THAT TO ME AND TAUGHT ME HOW TO
DEAL WITH FOOD IN A RIGHT WAY WITHOUT MAKING IT
MORE THAN WHAT IT WAS. THE COPING SKILLS THEY TEACH IN THE GROUPS ARE HOW TO DEAL
WITH THE NEGATIVE THOUGHTS, THOSE INTENSE PAINFUL FEELINGS AND COPE IN MORE PRODUCTIVE
WAYS. YOU HAVE TO TEACH THEM THINGS LIKE, LET'S GO FOR A WALK, DO
THE DEEP BREATHING. LET'S GO PUT LOTION ON YOUR LEGS AND ON YOUR HANDS.
HERE WAS A REALLY GOOD PLACE TO BE ABLE TO
HAVE OTHER PEOPLE POURING INTO YOU IN A WAY THAT
YOU STOPPED SEEING YOURSELF AS THE EATING DISORDER AND SEPARATING YOURSELF FROM THAT
AND STARTING TO FIND LIFE OUTSIDE OF IT, JUST GETTING TO THE POINT WHERE YOU EAT A MEAL
AND THEN YOU REALIZE, WAIT, I DIDN'T TOTALLY DISSECT EVERYTHING I ATE THAT MEAL.
I WAS HUNGRY, SO I ATE IT.
COMING HERE, I LEARNED THAT I AM OKAY JUST
BEING WHO I AM, AND I AM WORTH A MEAL, AND I AM A
VALUABLE PERSON. ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS I'VE LEARNED IS OTHER PEOPLE
CAN'T FIX EATING DISORDER FOR YOU, ESPECIALLY
NOT, YOU KNOW, A LOVED ONE, A GUY YOU'RE DATING
OR EVEN YOUR PARENTS. SEE, MY BODY IS SOMETHING I WANT TO CARE FOR, AND I EAT
HEALTHY FRUITS AND GRAINS AND THINGS THAT ARE FEEDING MY SOUL REALLY, AND THEN GOING TO THE
GYM NOW IS BECAUSE I LOVE IT, BECAUSE RUNNING FEELS GOOD. IT'S NOT A PUNISHMENT ANYMORE.
AND I CAN'T REALLY TELL YOU WHAT THAT'S LIKE. GOING NOW TO THE GYM AND FEELING
PROUD OF MYSELF BECAUSE I'M STRONG AND RUNNING BECAUSE I LIKE IT.
AND I ALSO QUIT SMOKING, TOO, AFTER I LEFT HERE. IT TOOK A LITTLE WHILE, BUT I
DID BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO HURT MYSELF ANYMORE. IT'S STILL A CHOICE EVERY DAY.
I STILL HAVE TO MAKE THAT DECISION, BECAUSE I'LL HAVE BAD DAYS, AND AND I WANT TO DO THAT
AND DON'T WANT TO HAVE ANYTHING TO EAT BECAUSE IT'S WHAT I'M USED TO, BUT I DON'T.
I EAT, AND I LIVE. I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO ENCOURAGE ANYONE WHO HASN'T
GOTTEN HELP BEFORE THAT YOU JUST NEED TO DO IT. I HAD SO MANY REASONS BEFORE I
GOT HELP HERE THAT I COULDN'T, BUT THE REALITY IS, IF IT'S NOT AN UNHAPPY AND UNSATISFYING
LIFE, THEN IT MIGHT BE DEATH, AS WELL. IF I COULD HELP SOMEBODY, I
WOULD LOVE TO BE ABLE TO. I WOULD LOVE TO TELL THEM THAT THEY'RE VALUABLE, THAT LIFE IS
WORTH IT, THAT HIDING FROM THEMSELVES ISN'T GOING TO HELP, THAT YOU CAN EAT SOMETHING, AND
IT DOES GET BETTER. IT DOES. IT REALLY DOES.
THAT STORY BY PRODUCER CARA MYERS. TALIA, BY THE WAY, MEANS TO
FLOURISH OR TO BLOOM IN GREEK. TO ALLOW THEM TO HELP MORE PEOPLE, SUPPORTERS OF TALIA
HOUSE ARE NOW ON THE LOOKOUT FOR A LARGER LOCATION. INSURANCE DOESN'T COVER THE COST
OF STAYING THERE, WHICH CAN BE AROUND $6,000 A MONTH, BUT THEY ARE WILLING TO WORK WITH
PATIENTS, AND THEY DON'T WANT THE COST TO BE A BARRIER TO TREATMENT.
YOU CAN LEARN MORE ABOUT TALIA HOUSE AT TALIAHOUSE.COM OR AT THE LOCAL SHOW WEBSITE.