It's Time to Talk About It

With National Eating Disorder Awareness Week just days away, I am captivated by the theme – “It’s time to talk about it.” As a medical writer and counselor, much of what I do is outside the realm of eating disorders. And when people realize I write a blog for this site, they naturally assume that my interest comes from writing about health and wellness, or having daughters, or being a feminist. All of those things are true.
But what is also true is that my interest in eating disorders comes from my own battle with bulimia. I didn’t start purging until I hit 29 – and that isn’t uncommon. And the price I paid was high. I had a stroke, miscarried a baby, ending up in the hospital.
I. Could. Have. Died. from Bulimia. I didn’t know people died from bulimia. But they do. I almost did. Not everyone with an eating disorder is the stereotypical emaciated white “girl” you see on talk shows. In fact, the majority of people suffering from an eating disorder don’t “look” like anything is wrong. Men, Hispanics, African-American’s, Asians, homosexuals, Mom’s, Dad’s, Coaches, CEOs, personal trainers, doctors, counselors, and even your local Starbuck’s barista. Nobody is immune. That’s why I’m going to start talking more about my own story. I don’t want one more person to die.