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Through the last four months of high school , Haley struggled with psychophysiological insomnia . As nighttime approached , she would become more and more tense and fill with anxiety and fear that she wouldn ’ t be able to sleep . Sometimes , her fear of not sleeping would become so strong , she wouldn ’ t be able to talk as evening approached . She had many hospital stays , therapy visits , and prescribed medications , but nothing seemed to work . To make matters worse , the bullying didn ’ t stop when she left school . She ’ d still hear through the grapevine or social media that her “ friends ” felt she was lying about her illness , that they didn ’ t “ sleep well either ,” or that she didn ’ t deserve to
It wasn ’ t long before Haley ’ s insomnia had taken over her life . The anxiety it caused was paralyzing in many respects and began to cause her to recoil from the outside world .
graduate if she didn ’ t attend class . Night in and night out , Haley ’ d lie awake obsessing over not being able to sleep . Because she was awake so much of the day , her body was craving fuel . She started getting
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Psychophysiological insomnia is one of the most difficult types to treat . In this form of insomnia , the patient focuses on not getting enough sleep increasing their own anxiety and paranoia about not sleeping . As anxiety and paranoia increase over not being able to sleep , there is a lower chance that the patient will be able to calm themselves enough to fall asleep .
up at 2:00 am and eating a large ( for her ) meal , which turned out to be a blessing in disguise for her eating disorder , but the insomnia , the time , it was driving her crazy . However , just as Haley turned the anxiety of losing friends into motivation to lead a healthier lifestyle , she took the anxiety caused by the insomnia and turned into starting her own business at just 17 years old .
Haley had always been a “ YouTuber ,” most often creating make-up tutorials , so she had the following and savviness to start a brand : Mae Movement . Haley wanted her brand to empower anyone she touched to be true to themselves , realize their potential , and most importantly , feel good about themselves . The last month before graduation , Haley began travelling for her brand to make connections and spread the word , kept up with her school work , and made it to graduation . As a bonus , she was gaining weight and looking healthier .
The following fall , Haley started art school . She was living on her own and supporting herself , but as the stress of school began to mount , her insomnia was starting to get
worse . She decided to drop out of college and focus on her company , her health , and a new career path : brand identity and social media consulting .
On the outside , Haley had always been a glamorous , radiant young woman with a heart of gold and a dream to inspire , but her insomnia and orthorexia continued to be a daily struggle . Her weight would yo-yo , so she hired a health coach to help with her dieting . Her coach showed her that not all healthy food looks like plain chicken , rice , and broccoli . She began to enjoy new foods that were full of flavor and full of nutrients , which was a stark shock to her orthorexia . No longer did she have to be bound to tight eating deadlines and only a handful of foods , which meant that she could start enjoying food socially .
It wasn ’ t long after beginning to practice flexible dieting that she met someone who she was really into . This newfound freedom allowed Haley to feel comfortable dieting and since he was into fitness , they could work out together as well . Haley was really comfortable with cardio , but her new boyfriend introduced her to weights at