Guest writer: Grateful for the adults that didn't let me self-destruct

Mom of four shares personal testimony about the parallels between eating disorders decades ago and the explosion of adolescents who believe they're transgender

A mother of four from Kentucky reached out to me in the hope of sharing her personal story. She has a background in teaching but now describes herself as someone with a heart for all children and young people who believes in protecting the innocence of childhood.

Her name is Beanie Geoghegan. This is her story.

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I had an eating disorder during my teen years. It had very little to do with my weight (I was often called a beanpole) and a lot to do with internal struggles and unresolved issues. The teen years can be difficult and tumultuous enough, but add a little family dysfunction, and they can be downright cyclonic. The common coping mechanism of the day was anorexia or bulimia. Many friends and acquaintances had adopted it and even some adults in my life were using it to deal with underlying issues. So, it seemed like a common, natural, and almost acceptable technique.

Fortunately, I reached out for help before I did permanent damage to my body. It is also very fortunate that my counselor did not affirm my false body image when I was in my sessions. She helped me understand the real issues and gradually I gained healthy coping mechanisms that would allow me to live a full and happy life.

Fast-forward to our current time and the variety of internal struggles and unresolved issues our young people are dealing with. To say their adolescent and teen years have been tumultuous is an understatement. Unfortunately, the coping mechanisms of the day are centered on sexual identity and gender theory. Just as I wrongly believed that I could fix my internal problems by changing my outward appearance, many young people believe they can do the same. Sadly, they often find themselves in the same place I was. My body was harmed (and so was my mind) and my problems were still lingering. When they do go seek counseling for their struggles, they are often affirmed in their beliefs and encouraged to continue down the dangerous path they are on. To my very great despair, some are even doing irreparable damage to their bodies that cannot be reversed.

To this day, I am utterly thankful for the adults in my life who had the difficult task of confronting me and convincing me to get help. I am certain I did not initially respond kindly to them, but they persisted because they loved me. Had they decided that loving me meant letting me self-destruct, I might not be where I am today.

I am not writing this as an opposition to gender dysphoria or as a way to take a stance on gender theory issues. I simply share my experience as a warning to parents and caregivers of young people who may find themselves struggling and making important decisions based on their current circumstances rather than the promise that the future holds. As the caring responsible adults in their lives, we must remind them that life is full of ups and downs, obstacles and opportunities, and none of them last forever. Please love the young people in your lives enough to be strong when they are weak and prevent them from self-destruction, regret, and irreversible damage.