by Gabriel Poe | Apr 12, 2017 | News Slider
A perfectionist, a ballet dancer and a Type A personality, Lipscomb sophomore Arden Whitehurst has battled a life-controlling behavior for many years. A disease that could have wrecked her life is now in the rearview mirror as Whitehurst has transformed it into a ministry. From a very young age, Whitehurst struggled with people-pleasing and was crippled by the fear of letting people down. As she grew older, the anxiety from the expectations of others began manifesting and she heaped more responsibility on herself. High school trudged on and anger towards God took root as Whitehurst grasped for control of her life and identity. She had the weight of the world on her shoulders and began looking for an escape. The young dancer began an innocent diet to slim up and stay healthy, but what started out as harmless soon became a catalyst for harm. She quickly began a downward spiral that she could no longer control. “I slowly started restricting my food intake and I soon found myself in a dark hole and didn’t know how I got there or how to get out of it,” Whitehurst said. She was soon diagnosed with anorexia nervosa and severe anxiety. As weeks turned into months, the disease began bleeding into her everyday life. She was falling behind in school and in dance; her parents began desperately searching for answers. No one in her family knew what to do or how to help, so they sent Whitehurst to Renfrew Center in Dallas, Tex. where she finally began to accept the people who were trying to help her and slowly began to open up to their accountability and...
