I Ruined My Own Childhood With an Eating Disorder
In the age of mental health awareness, eating disorders are as taboo as they are deadly. Here’s what it feels like to have had one, forever.
On the surface, it may appear that mental health is no longer an unspoken horror in western society. We have books, movies, and TV shows raising the subject. People tweet about their issues and feelings, some dedicate entire social media platforms to helping others with theirs. Even the corporate world has opened its heavy doors to the tolerance of mental struggle, if just to a small (and arguably performative) extent.
The words “depression” and “anxiety” are commonplace in 2021. We encourage people to open up, to talk about their issues, to check in on their mates. However, we do this at the expense of other issues that are just as real, and even more deadly. How often do you see welcoming acceptance of schizophrenia, personality disorders, drug addiction, or eating disorders?
This isn’t a scolding for those who have opened their minds and mouths to these issues. It’s merely a nudge that we haven’t quite made the progress that we may think we have.
I spent my entire childhood in the grips of an eating disorder that I didn’t understand. My friends didn’t understand it, my family didn’t understand it, doctors didn’t understand it. This isn’t…
