Client Quote #27: no shame

ED, like many mental illnesses are stigmatized. There is no shame attached if someone had cancer, a broken bone, or an open wound. However a lot of the times to the outside, ED can seem like a choice. It can seem like the person with ED is willingly CHOOSING not to eat. Which isn’t true at all.

 If someone pointed a gun to our heads and said if you eat, I will shoot. I bet most of us would stop eating until the threat is removed. The same kind of fear exists for ED patients, the ED instills a belief that weight gain will lead to a ruined life, a life without love and hope. Treatment is the process where we show the client that that isn’t true but it takes time.

 If you struggle with ED, opening up about it with trusted loved ones can help quiet the ED.

 If you know of someone struggling with ED and they decide to open up to you about it. You can help by validating their struggles and showing empathy, knowing that no one chooses to suffer 🤝