My heart is so full, and I am in so much awe that I do not even think I am gonna use the word fuck this time. Cursing won’t do it justice this time

The only way I thought to cope with my suffering was to make something beautiful out of it, but I genuinely genuinely wouldn’t have been alive today if it weren’t for the amazing support system that I had, that I sadly couldn’t find back home in the Middle East.

This film may either be something that hits home to you (either because you or someone you love suffered this illness), or it could be totally removed from your life as an individual (the latter is what I hope for most of you). Or maybe you are a teacher, clinician, parent, older sibling — responsible for raising, treating, or mentoring young children. Or maybe you are a dude who thinks this is for emotional moms and or/ girls (p.s. this is certainly for dudes to watch too).

But regardless of whether this film you can relate to or not, regardless of who you are, this film could take you into a beautiful realization journey. A story of suffering — raw and heartfelt — brought in the light of, and imbued with, Science (the antidote to the present era of misinformation and stigma).

I really wasn’t planning on making this long but I have more to say

This ones to the beautiful souls whom I lived with and come to know in the hospital. S, thank you for cracking up jokes at dinner when all I wanted was to bust out the door. A, thank you for playing the guitar and adding a light-hearted atmosphere in the hospital room that is rather depressing (talk about teenage memories 🤣). Thank you Ash for making it easier to stay (remember studying for ur chem exam in that room🥵). And and all the other amazing individuals who have a very fucking special place in my heart —

AND TO MY ETERNAL SOULMATE -Tegan Duncan-(the random stranger whom the universe blessed me with my placing her right beside me in the dinner table). It quickly turned from “hi my names zeina. Yeah you can’t get up and get water between meals; u don’t know the rules until you break them” to “you’re the reason I woke up today”.

And yes there were male patients and Muslim Arab patients. Yes all of them can be sick too- with the exact same illness.

Each of them had a unique story — each of them had the brightest most intelligent minds — from nurses to doctors — who just like the 19 year old me- were sick with anorexia.

Watch GAIN https://youtu.be/HJDAcrgbIuQ