Woman Beats Anorexia, Becomes Bodybuilder

— -- A 25-year-old body builder who overcame anorexia is hoping her story will inspire others struggling with eating disorders.

Aroosha Nekonam of Aberdeen, Scotland, told ABC News that she confessed on her YouTube channel and Instagram that she was a survivor of anorexia. Nekonam made the announcement during Eating Disorder Awareness Week.

"I wanted to put myself out there and say, 'I went through this and if I can get through it, anyone can,'" Aroosha said. "I have a lot of people contacting me everyday, telling me how I've inspired them and for me, this is what it's all about. If I could touch just one person with my story and give them that extra push to go and turn their life around, that’s exactly what I wanted."

Aroosha said she was in her late teens/early 20s when her health began to decline because of her anorexia.

"Certain stresses in my life month-by-month, year-by-year was sort of breaking me down," she said. "I lost a lot of confidence. Things because out of control and [I had] depression. It got the best of me. I've always been active, but I sort of turned to fitness as punishment. It was a form of control for me because everything else in my life appeared out of control. It was my only outlet."

After her family urged her to get help, Aroosha began therapy, she said.

"I was in denial," Aroosha recalled. "I don’t know exactly when the turning point was. [I think] it was gradually understanding [that] I could go down two routes. I could try and recover, or this is eventually going to kill me."

Claire Mysko, CEO of the National Eating Disorders Association, says recovery is possible for people with eating disorders.

“Eating disorders, such as anorexia, bulimia and binge eating disorder, are complex mental health issues that affect all aspects of a person's life," Mysko said in a statement to ABC News. "If left untreated, they can wreak havoc on an individual's body and even lead to death. But recovery is possible with appropriate treatment and access to care. Many people come out on the other side of a struggle with an eating disorder and thrive. Recovery makes it possible for them to go on to live fulfilling lives that aren't dominated by self-destructive thoughts and behaviors.”

While recovering, Aroosha, who's now a fitness instructor, turned to her mother for support and social media for comfort.

Soon, she discovered the world of health, fitness and female body builders.

"When I saw these women and I saw their potential of what they could do...they were strong, but still feminine," Aroosha said. "I said, 'This is what I want to be. This is my inspiration.' I was so weak. I couldn’t do anything and I was sick of it."

"There has been a glowing shift over the past few years and there's been a lot of inspiring women weight lifters out there," she added. "Everyday they motivated me to build myself up. I think that lifestyle deserves a lot of respect."

For the past two-and-a-half years, Aroosha began turning her own life around.

In the last year, she landed her job at a gym and now she's preparing to compete in the U.K. Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation bikini competition in May.

"[I began] yoga and then went onto weight lifting," Aroosha said. "I learned the different ways of bringing up your strength, that it's not about going on that treadmill for hours and hours a day. I completely use exercise in a different way now. It's essentially my therapy. I enjoy it and I'm all about building myself up, rather than bringing myself down. Once I was at a healthy weight, I became a fitness instructor."

Aroosha has been documenting her journey on her YouTube channel and Instagram and giving followers workout and healthy eating tips. But she only decided to come clean about her struggle with anorexia after she built up a large social media following.

"I felt like I wasn’t being completely honest by not coming out about it," she said. "There's a shame about [eating disorders], a taboo about them. People don’t understand. It’s under the radar and because of that, people aren't recovering. There's no awareness.

"If I can help people as much as I possibly can and if I can raise awareness, then why not?" Aroosha added. "My final advice for anyone suffering is not to feel ashamed. Come forward. Tell a loved one. Speak about it. Don't hide it and you'll find that recovery will be a lot easier than trying on your own."