NW Valley Times

Junior Abigail Barstad spent her summer interning at the Acute Center for Eating Disorders and Severe Malnutrition in Denver. During this time, she frequently heard young women express their frustration with their conditions.

“I am so sick of being sick,” said Barstad, who has faced her own family issues, depression, and addictive exercise habits. She aimed to assist others facing similar struggles.

“They realize they are sick, but they don’t know how to get well. But the cool thing is, a lot of the women found a lot of release when they actually shared out loud instead of keeping it in,” she noted about her internship experience.

The Grand Canyon University junior studying behavioral health was particularly affected by meeting a young woman who had battled an eating disorder for over ten years.

“She had gone to this center four times and, this summer, she was definitely giving up. Her body and brain were reflecting that,” Barstad explained.

Reflecting on her work during the internship, Barstad recalled her own high school experiences where she lost a friend to an eating disorder in 2021. This loss made her more aware of harmful behavior patterns and societal pressures regarding body image.

“I felt like it opened my eyes to see what behavior patterns look like," she said. "I think a lot of young women have an idea that their body should look a certain way."

Barstad highlighted how social media contributes to unrealistic expectations about body image. Despite attending a Christian school where students were taught that "God made you perfect," many struggled with these ideals.

“To see what happened to that girl made me aware of how our culture is selling eating disorders without calling it an eating disorder,” she added.

Barstad enrolled at GCU two years ago with plans to study theology but later decided to combine biblical studies with behavioral health science. She joined Changing Lives Outreach and pursued the summer internship opportunity.

“Internships are an invaluable opportunity to bring our learning to fruition,” said College of Humanities and Social Sciences Dean Dr. Sherman Elliott about the internships served by social work and behavioral health students over the summer. “It is the relationship with clients that makes us realize what we can do to serve other human beings so as to bring comfort to their lives.”

At the center, Barstad worked closely with young women dealing with eating disorders, drawing from her own experiences in high school.

“I spent so many hours talking in depth with these women who have had lifelong struggles," she said. "Even though I went to high school two years ago, I was able to say, ‘Yeah, me too.’ It just created a closeness so I could really fellowship with them.”

Barstad recounted various behaviors associated with eating disorders such as counting calories excessively or refusing to sit down during sessions because they believed standing burned more calories.

“For me, I was really into weight lifting and getting super strong,” Barstad shared about her past struggles. “But I had to go every day... What started off as something good became something that my brain was encompassed by.”

Using these personal insights helped Barstad connect deeply with one particular patient who seemed ready for change after months of interaction.

“I’m ready to fight,” the patient told Barstad one day after significant progress through counseling and support from staff members including dietitians and counselors.

“Those were the exact words," recalled Barstad. "Then she broke down crying and said, ‘I will never let this win again.’ Others who had seen her through the last four years had never seen her so on fire."

Reflecting on her internship experience, Barstad emphasized its impact on both herself and those she helped: “The internship came at a great time... I will never forget it.”

Grand Canyon University senior writer Mike Kilen can be reached at [email protected]

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