“For the first time in a long time,

I truly believe my life can be about more than just surviving.” – Diante Peihopa-Harris

A Letter of Gratitude

Dear the people who made, and continue to make, Recovered Living NZ possible,

Before coming to Recovered Living, my world had become so small, and my life was consumed by Binge Eating Disorder. It affected every aspect of my life—not just my relationship with food, but my emotions, my confidence, my health, my relationships, and the way I saw myself. From the outside, it may have looked like I was functioning, but inside I was exhausted. I wasn’t really living; I was surviving, and I had forgotten there could be a difference.

Looking back now, I realise I had come to believe that food could protect me from difficult emotions, fill an emptiness I couldn’t explain, or give me a sense of control when everything else felt overwhelming.

When I arrived at RLNZ, I was hoping for recovery, but if I’m honest, I don’t think I truly believed a life free from my eating disorder was possible. I thought I was coming here to fix my relationship with food. What I know now is that recovery was never just about that. It was about learning to understand myself, learning to stop abandoning myself, and learning that the safety, comfort, and fulfilment I was searching for had to be built within myself.

RLNZ has given me the space and opportunity to slow down, look honestly at my life, and begin healing what was underneath my eating disorder. One of the greatest gifts it has given me is the realisation that the parts of myself I spent years trying to get rid of can actually be some of my greatest strengths. I am learning how to use them in ways that support my recovery, my values, and the life I want to live.

My goals now are less about fixing myself and more about living in a way that reflects my values: balance instead of extremes, connection instead of isolation, and growth instead of fear. Recovery is not about being perfect or never struggling again. There are still things that scare me, and there will be times when I hear my eating disorder again. But I no longer have to face those moments without the tools to respond differently.

By helping people heal, you are helping create change that reaches far beyond one person. It reaches into families, relationships, communities, and future generations. For me, this means having the opportunity to break cycles that have existed for a long time and help create a future built on connection, compassion, and healing.

Thank you to the staff who show up every day, who sit with us through the hard moments, celebrate the wins, and support people through some of the most challenging parts of their lives. You are what makes this programme what it is. It is not just the therapy or the structure. It is the way you show up, the atmosphere you create, and the way you never lose sight of the person underneath the eating disorder that makes RLNZ a place where people can feel safe, understood, and at home.

I also want to acknowledge everyone behind the scenes who has helped make Recovered Living possible and continues to do so today. Every donation, every hour volunteered, every act of generosity, and every decision to support RLNZ has a ripple effect on people whose lives are forever changed by this programme. I’m one of those people.

RLNZ gave me a safe place where I could be understood, challenged, supported, and surrounded by people who believed in my recovery, even on the days when I struggled to believe it myself. Your support made it possible for me to do this work and leave this programme with a stronger sense of self, hope for my future, and the confidence to navigate life’s challenges without relying on the ways I once coped. For the first time in a long time, I truly believe my life can be about more than just surviving.

One whakataukī (proverb) that has stayed with me throughout my time here is this one from Tā Himi Henare, a rangatira of my iwi, Ngāti Hine:

“Kua tawhiti kē tō haerenga mai, kia kore e haere tonu. He nui rawa ō mahi, kia kore e mahi tonu.”

“You have come too far not to go further. You have done too much not to do more.”

I cannot change where I have come from, but because of the opportunity I was given at RLNZ, I now have the tools, the courage, and the hope to choose where I go next.

Thank you for helping make that possible.

Ngā mihi maioha,

Diante Peihopa-Harris
RLNZ Client