Anorexia Consumed my Identity, Recovery Helped me Rebuild

Deena pulls back the curtain on her eating disorder even more, revealing her struggle with feeling invisible and alienated even as her loved ones desperately tried to help her. She recalls how her addiction cast a shadow over life's pivotal moments, like birthdays and even her own wedding.  Deena and Brian also discuss her ever-present fear of death while battling her eating disorder, and how Deena’s mother even wrote a heart-breaking message about planning for Deena’s seemingly imminent funeral.  In this episode, Deena and Brian explore the critical role of a support system in tackling eating disorders, and how therapy from a professional who had firsthand experience with anorexia made a significant difference.  In this episode, you’ll also hear: Struggling with isolation caused by addiction   Feeling numb vs. feeling family’s pain  Need for therapy and support system  Must-listen moments:  [00:06:03] When we talk about who you had become, there was a lot of avoidance. There was a lot of isolation and a lot of times, it alienated those friends and family who wanted to help, but didn't know how to help, saw that there was a problem, didn't know what to do about the problem. [00:14:57] The depths of the disease that your loved one is struggling with, you have no idea how deep that struggle is. And it is so profound and you are so removed from it. [00:18:00] Now I had a conscience of how I was hurting other people and I couldn't do it. I knew I was getting better because I was thinking of how I was going to affect my family and other people, and I knew that I didn't have another chance. Thank you for listening. Whether you’re suffering from an eating disorder or you’re a caring friend or family member, we’d love to hear from you via email at [email protected]