We'll all say "oh you're so pretty" because you are. I saw the pictures of you on myspace when I heard your song. You were younger then. But honey, I've told you all along you are beautiful. But I'm a mom and I'm 20 years older than you, so I see beauty where you don't. But you will. Without starvation, without killing yourself doing workouts. You will.

She said I need to stop beating myself up about things that happened in the past. They're the past and can't be changed, but I, as a person can change the way i feel about them and see the positive in them, which makes sense.. She said that she can see that I have the confidence there, but I just have to believe in my confidence and in myself a lot more, be less shy about it and more extrovert, like the person deep down wants to be, but is being smothered by a safety net. You know?

Gee, sounds like the things Laura told you are some of the things we've talked about. I'm so so so glad you had someone IRL tell you these things. Someone you trust, someone to listen to you. That makes me so very happy!!

About the idea of setting up a support group, advertising for it would be simple--fliers can made on the computer and hung around campus, around town, left in doctors offices, at pharmacies, talk to some clothing stores in the local mall and see if they would put fliers in their shopping bags for a day. A lot of times local churches (at least here) will donate space in their basement or meeting room for meetings such as these. If not, maybe the local hospital or clinic. Get as many donations as you can--including the space. A classroom at college, cafeteria at a highschool, talk to a bakery about donating coffee. (All of which reminds me I need to get moving on my next ICD support group--everyone is clammering for it again!). It will be beneficial to you as well as anyone else who comes. (A word of advice from someone who runs a support group--do NOT be disheartened if you don't have a good turn out the first few times. Especially for your kind of support, it's hard to go to, hard to admit, maybe embarrasing). As you go on, maybe you could convince a victim advocate to come talk, to tell what to expect, etc (which, at this point for you is a big NOTHING!)

Be up front with Alec, that's the only way he can help!