21 Things Sufferers Of Eating Disorders Need You To Realize

We need you to know that eating disorders are not a lifestyle choice surrounded around vanity.

They are serious mental illnesses that are associated with the highest mortality rate of any psychiatric disorder.

Anyone can suffer from an eating disorder.

These disorders frequently coexist with other illnesses such as depression, substance abuse or anxiety.

We aren’t pretending to hate the way we look as a cry for attention.

Many of us really see something in the mirror that is completely different from reality.

Boys and men suffer from eating disorders too.

Many people think that Bulimia is simply about throwing up what we eat.

But it's much more complex than that.

Eating disorders can be a way to have some control over our lives when we feel like we are helpless.

Many of us practice unhealthy food rituals in secret because of the feelings of guilt or shame often associated with our disorder.

Giving us looks of disgust because of the way we look won’t help.

Anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are not the only types of eating disorders.

Not all sufferers are underweight.

Binge eating is also a disorder and so is over exercising.

So is orthorexia - the excessive preoccupation with avoiding foods perceived to be unhealthy.

Recovering from these disorders is not as easy as you may think.

The simple act of eating a meal can be stressful or traumatic.

Our illness didn’t develop overnight, and recovery won’t happen overnight.

So please don’t judge us, or rush us.

With the patience and support of loved ones and others who have been affected, the road to recovery will seem all the less daunting.