A Future for Tomorrow by Haley Hatch Freeman, is a true story about Haley's battle with Anorexia Nervosa and her victory in over-coming it. From the back of the book: "A Future for Tomorrow is an extraordinary non-fiction account of the author’s actual battle against anorexia nervosa as well as a spiritual triumph against evil.
You will be brought into the anorexic mind, shown the fierce war against depression and self-depreciative thoughts and actions; and witness the gravity of the destruction this disease can do.
A deeply edifying experience will occur as you journey with the author to that eternal world. There, angels confirm to her gospel truths such as the intensity of Christ’s love, and the sacred and holy nature of our Father’s plan for his children here on Earth."
This book came to me in the mail about twenty minutes before I left for the airport a few weeks ago. I grabbed it, threw it in my purse, and didn't think about it again until I was on the plane, ready for something to distract me from my fear of flying. As I began reading, I was immediately touched by Haley's honest and thorough description of her feelings, relationships with others, and her mental & physical state. I had the hardest time putting this book down. During my trip, I picked up A Future for Tomorrow and read as much as I could. I became very attached to Haley and her battle to become healthy - and felt the need to know what was going to happen to her next.
And before you think this was a diet gone wrong - let me tell you, it wasn't. I never understood the complexities of Anorexia before. There is so much more to it than not eating enough food. Here's a good definition from Wikipedia:
"Anorexia Nervosa is a psychiatric diagnosis that describes an eating disorder characterized by low body weight and body image distortion with an obsessive fear of gaining weight. Individuals with anorexia are known to commonly control body weight through the means of voluntary starvation, purging, vomiting, excessive exercise, or other weight control measures, such as diet pills or diuretic drugs. It primarily affects adolescent females, however approximately 10% of people with the diagnosis are male. Anorexia nervosa is a complex condition, involving neurobiological, psychological, and sociological components.
The term anorexia is of Greek origin: a (α, prefix of negation), n (ν, link between two vowels) and orexis (ορεξις, appetite) thus meaning a lack of desire to eat. A person who is diagnosed with anorexia nervosa is most commonly referred to with the adjectival form anorexic. The noun form, "anorectic" is generally not used in this context and usually refers to drugs that suppress appetite.
"Anorexia nervosa" is frequently shortened to "anorexia" in both the popular media and television reports. This is technically incorrect, as the term "anorexia" used separately refers to the medical symptom of reduced appetite (which therefore is distinguishable from anorexia nervosa in being non-psychiatric)."
During Haley's story, I followed with her, a young lady in high school who was 5'9", drop down to 85 lbs, the mere weight of a fourth, fifth, or sixth-grader. I felt her anguish as she plead with Heavenly Father to give her strength to over come her illness. I wanted to pray with her, hold her hand, as she battled from the edge of death, and fought her way back to the living. I wanted to put my arms around her mom and give her a shoulder to cry on. If you have never been personally involved in the life of someone living with Anorexia Nevosa, you will when you read A Future for Tomorrow. It's like you're right there in the room with Haley and her family.
Here is a picture of Haley just after she was released from the hospital to return home. This is after she was deemed healthy enough to return home for the rest of her treatment. I can't even imagine how she must have looked during the most difficult stages of Anorexia Nervosa.
Today, Haley is a happy, healthy wife and mother. Look how absolutely beautiful she is!I HIGHLY recommend this book to EVERY young lady, woman, and parent.
QOTC Rating: Five Stars
You can read more about Haley on her blog. You can also purchase A Future for Tomorrow on her website or Amazon.
For more information on Anorexia Nervosa, please visit these websites:
MedicineNet.com
NAMI.org
MayoClinic.com
For treatment options, please visit your doctor. Below are some links to some care facilities that specialize in Anorexia Nervosa:
Center for Change
Remuda Ranch
Rebecca's House
Canopy Cove
