Eating Disorders Related Content

As a teenager in the 1970s, home was a scary place for Lisa. She was physically assaulted, belittled, and often threatened. A family member was living with untreated schizophrenia. Lisa developed depression, and by 19 years old, she was also living with anorexia and an anxiety disorder. I was...

After Eva read an article describing body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), she finally had a name for the feelings she had been living with for more than 15 years. That article changed my life. Now I had a name for my symptoms. However, her psychiatrist was not familiar with BDD, as it was a poorly...

Facing the prospect of getting intensive treatment for anorexia in a residential program—where she would be supervised around the clock—petrified Shoshana. I was terrified of the lack of control—like someone taking away something that I thought was helping me. Shoshana came to realize that treatment...

I had to grieve the perfect version of myself that I wanted to be. Veronique recalls grappling with the symptoms of her mental health condition from a young age. As a teenager, she engaged in self-harm behavior, had suicidal thoughts, and struggled with isolation. In 2020, she attempted suicide...

After being adopted from Guatemala into a loving home in the United States, the separation from her birth mother caused Marina an underlying feeling of loss and insecurity. It did not help that as early as elementary school, other kids bullied her. I realized early on that my mom and I didn’t look...

Don’t bring your personal baggage to work, but also don’t take time off to see a professional. If you have problems, self-medicate with drugs and alcohol like everyone else. Don’t show any signs of weakness, or you’ll be replaced. Those are some of the unwritten rules Melinda has had to live by...

Jessika had a secret. Ever since losing two close friends to suicide, one being her high school best friend, Jessika has worked tirelessly in the field of suicide prevention—urging those who are desperate to step forward and seek help. What she never told anyone until recently was that she, too...

Since she was a teenager, Nique has faced a series of mental health challenges. Over the years, stigma has made those challenges even harder. But time and again throughout her life, Nique has found the strength to fight through and make needed changes. The stigma behind mental health is just so...

Not asking for help was hell, and deciding to get help was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. However, it was the thing that literally saved my life. As long as Katherine can remember, she struggled with anxiety and panic attacks. In fact, Katherine’s mother says she was born with anxiety, that she...

Cali, a doctor of clinical psychology, is the founder of an addictions coaching service that caters to executives and celebrities. In her long-term recovery from eating concerns and substance misuse, Cali brings her personal experience to helping patients. When I was growing up, I was overweight. My...

I was convinced that if I were skinny, I would be perfect. I was paranoid about gaining weight. I remember being at a party one time, and all of a sudden, I started to have an anxiety attack because I had eaten too much. My mom suggested that I make myself throw up so that I would feel better. From...

A fast and dedicated athlete, Katie began to struggle with her mental health at the age of 17. As a competitive runner, her passion for running led her to a dark place. Over time, Katie started to control her body excessively. I was told that I looked like a real runner, and for some time, I got...

Since she was 15, Alejandra knew that something was wrong, that even though her diet was very strict every day, she weighed more. I went to see a nutritionist and she said that since I didn’t fit for anorexia or bulimia then I was fine. When Alejandra entered college, her condition worsened. I...

From a very young age, Andrea felt insecure and struggled with what she describes as strange thoughts. She took comfort in the love and strength of her mother, but when her mother passed away when Andrea was 15, the loneliness and sadness that Andrea felt was devastating. The depression that Andrea...

Secrets can hold immense power. By shedding light on a secret, by speaking it aloud, that power can be dissolved even though it seemed immovable before. By the time Theresa was seven years old, she was experiencing the symptoms of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). But she kept her condition a...