Life can be tricky. There are curves and turns in the road, as well as detours and pitfalls. It often feels more like a roller coaster than a path. Because we can all relate to the struggle in one form or another, stories of tragedy and triumph abound.

While today’s youth face unique obstacles that no previous generation has encountered, the resulting coping mechanisms continue to remain centered on the familiar and deceptive illusions of perceived control. Whether the imbalance manifests in the form of alcoholism, drug abuse, eating disorders, addiction or other behaviors, there is often a search to maintain equilibrium. Disorders have a way of emerging despite efforts of resistance. One defense against these self-destructive tendencies is finding a way to be in harmony with ourselves, thereby alleviating the tension.

One such story has unfolded in the life of a local young man. Like Paul, the champion of the post-resurrection New Testament, Welland Andrus gives the appearance of a boisterous and spirited young man in print. However, upon meeting him, he comes across as a reserved young man, humble in spirit and ready to share his testimony with excitement, but also with due restraint.

Andrus recently released a book, How Bulimia Saved My Soul. Many have typically identified bulimia as a primarily female disorder. However, this young man has recorded his struggles with bulimia in a very honest and compelling book that chronicles his life through the eyes of a fictional character named Larry. Andrus writes with the kind of raw emotion and candid verbiage that one can only associate with true experience. While the names have been changed and some events have been changed up, Practically the entire book is a reflection of his own life and struggles, said Andrus, who has changed names and identifying details of certain events for the sake of anonymity on behalf of the other characters involved.

In How Bulimia Saved my Soul, Andrus conveys a sense of his internal struggle on a very tangible and personal level. This book shares his most intimate thoughts, his most private ponderings, his most tragic experience-turned-triumphant, and how his Christian faith delivered him through it all. Andrus details the toll the disorder takes on his own body and the bodies of fellow sufferers, and the often-forgotten toll on the family and friends who are indirectly affected by the struggle.

When asked to simplify the root of the problem in his own words, Andrus opened up about the issues he struggled with in his home life—from losing a parent at a young age to watching the remaining parent struggle with substance abuse—and how that impacted him, leaving him feeling out of control.

“I couldn’t control my home life, but I could control my weight, so I fell back on that,” he said. “For me it was always about wanting control. But really, when I got into treatment, I saw it was just a lie I fell for because I didn’t have control over the situation. I thought I did, but I didn’t.”

He goes on to say that he was essentially using food as a coping mechanism.

“One thing I really saw in treatment was, it’s okay sometimes to not have control over a situation. That’s one part about the Christian faith. It’s not about control, it’s about surrender,” the 21-year-old author said.

Andrus’ account highlights each crucial moment as his life spins out of control, and what steps were necessary to get back on the right path. He does this with a raw writing style, an ability to keep the suspense coming and a skilled delivery of a delicate subject. I would go as far as to call it a must-read for anyone who identifies with bulimia, either as a sufferer or as a loved one. The insight gained may truly help save a life and heal a heart.

The book gives a true picture of what the struggle looks like, the resulting consequences, and the comforting truth that we are never alone in our struggles.

If you or someone you know is struggling with bulimia, you can reach out for help in a number of ways, from local churches and nonprofit organizations to counselors and crisis intervention centers as well as rehabilitation centers. Take action and get the help you deserve. Your life is worth it.

Find How Bulimia Saved My Soul at Amazon and various other outlets.