“You’re really skinny.” “Thanks!” “I don’t mean that in a good way.” “Eating a candy bar put a smile on my face. Eating became my comfort.”

Eating disorders receive a lot of media attention, and often seem romanticized or presented as a rite of passage through adolescence. In this month’s powerful episode of Inside Our Mind’s The Mental Illness Spotlight, our panelists Amy, Cara, and Marissa discuss their experiences living with and living through eating disorders.

Among other related topics, join The Mental Illness Spotlight as we discuss the emergence of their eating disorders, challenges in receiving treatment, recovery, body dysmorphic disorder, social media, and the connection between bullying and their eating disorders.

Content warning: self-harm, suicidal thoughts, bullying, descriptions of binging and purging.

For more Inside Our Minds and The Mental Illness Spotlight Podcast, visit www.insideourminds.org, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @insidemindspgh.

Also check out Panelist Cara’s local chapter of Project Heal, theprojectheal.org/chapters-heal/pittsburgh-2, or theprojectheal.org and Panelist Amy’s Youtube Channel, Amilia TheGeek, and Twitch Amiliathegeek!

Panelists: Amy, Cara, Marissa

Hosted by: Max Chis

Production Team: Kate Mafrica Langford and Alyssa Cypher