Episode 56: How A 10 year-old Became Anorexic & Her Journey of Healing - Interview With Christy Roberts from Emerging Health
Christy is a certified Functional Nutritionist and has a dietetic degree from Michigan State University. She is also a Certified Lifestyle & Functional Medicine Coach and certified personal trainer. Her passion for health and fitness is fueled from own her personal journey of healing from anorexia nervosa and bulimia. And today we get to hear the tools that have helped her reach her best health over the last 4 decades. Every day, Christy turns the painful experiences of her past into a purpose to help others reach their ultimate health as well.
Instagram: @coachchristy_emerginghealth
https://www.emerging.health/
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What led a ten year old to eating disorders?
Book “Gaining”by Aimee Liu points out some kids are just more prone to wanting perfection.
Need for control.
Felt a need to punish myself for feeling “bad” emotions.
I got compliments on my maturing thin figure. Fed my obsession.
Because I was anorexic, my body craved food…or people would notice I was cutting out food and would force me to eat. And then I couldn’t stop binging and then I HAD to purge to relive myself of the guilt and disgust I felt for eating food.
Cutting out certain foods made me feel clean. It took me decades to realize this need to feel clean stemmed from sexual abuse I experienced from a close relative. Parents need to know that sexual abuse is often a trigger for eating disorders…Because of shame, confusion and guilt. I never told my parents. I never told anyone.
What did your parents do during these years?
Mom noticed I wasn’t eating.
Parents showed so much love, but in the 80’s eating disorders not much was known about them. So they searched for answers!
Saw counselors…nothing worked because I would lie to the counselors
Parents eventually took me to a facility 45min away of specialists. I still wasn’t ready to change, but it was the best place they could have taken me.
You said you were in such a dark place…What flipped the light bulb on for you?
One my dad came crying to me and in a very sincere and loving way helped me understand that I was not only hurting myself. I was hurting my family. “I am only hurting myself” is the biggest lie someone with disordered eating tells themself.
I started to educate myself.
My mom had me put more input into what was made for dinner and planning out meals.
I went on to study nutrition in college and absorb everything I could about food and how it affects the body and brain.
What would you tell parents?
Break the secrets and the hiding wide open. Have very open conversation with them. “You are only as sick as the secrets you keep.”
Come from a place of love not judgement. They are already feeling so much shame.
Help them connect what food does for their body versus telling them food is good or bad. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNvkSi0XrL0
Help them understand how it is affecting their health and their family
Educate yourself and offer resources to your loved one so they can educate themselves too.
Get help from professionals and know that it might be years of healing.
https://anad.org/eating-disorders-statistics/
https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/help-support/contact-helpline
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