I struggled with eating-disordered thoughts and behaviors for over twenty years, and even I don’t fully understand the illness. So, I never could expect my family to understand. Yet, as a young adult when I finally sought help for anorexia nervosa, I did need my family to listen to me,…Read More
Years ago, my therapist asked me what I did for fun. I had to think about it for a while, which, by the way, is a sign that you might not be having too much fun in your life. Finally, I told her that my idea of fun was folding laundry…Read More
I stayed in bed all day. I was depressed, I was anxious, and I had just thrown up. You might be surprised but this was not my eating disorder. This was actually perfectionism. My treatment team had told me for a long time that, if I did not recover from…Read More
Who am I without Ed? This is a question that I used to ask myself a lot. Apparently, this is a question that many of us in recovery from eating disorders as well as other mental illnesses, like PTSD, end up wondering about. Our illness can essentially hijack so much…Read More
Dear family, friends, healthcare professionals, teachers, and coaches: Please be my hope holder. I have eaten food out of trashcans. I have stolen food. I feel horrible, disgusting, and oh so ashamed. I desperately need you to believe in me, because, honestly, sometimes I think that I’m going crazy. My…Read More