What Bulimia Taught Me. | Susannah Laing | TEDxCumbernauldWomen

This shook me to my core. Thank you for being brutally honest and sharing the horrid experience that is bulimia. As a bulimic myself I think there needs to be more representation like this in the media. Eating disorders aren't pretty little stick thin girls who say no to dinner. Not all the time.

They burned off precancerous cells off my esophagus 3 times from 22yrs of bulimia. I'm still throwing up and I need to treat this addiction like alcoholism. Day 1 is tomorrow ♥️

Thank you for sharing this. As a male who is struggling with bullemia for years your story hit home. Sometimes i don't know how to handle emotional pain and throwing up is an easy way. I wish i could fully escape the obsession with my weight and my body image. It's hard a journey.

Lady with eating disorder here. Have been a binge eater since age 11, started throwing up at 16. I'm 35 now. I want those who have a partner with an eating order to know this. We wish someone would say: I accept you. Instead of, I understand, just run, eat that, do this. We want help and help isn't advice. Help is keeping an eye and helping us not be stressed, saying things to boost our low self-esteem. Takes a lot of tactical thought and consideration but that's what is best. You might not mean to trigger your partner by losing weight or gaining weight yourself, let them know you love them the way they are and they need you to love you the way you are. Encouragement, checking in, acceptance is best.

This video saved me today. I watched a lot and I’m struggling bad with bulimia and I hide it. I was in an abusive relationship and all my friends left me and I turned to food for my comfort and funny as it sounds my friend. I’m trying so hard to stop.

Thank you ❤ Im struggling with Bulimia right now and this really hit home.

The “putting on a performance” and “not truly being yourself” resonates so much!

I watched a bunch (as much as I could find) of videos about eating disorders but this one.. I cried a lot. The thing about telling the truth to mom? I would also say that it was the scariest thing I have done in my life. The salad that is impossible to digest - so true and I thought I am the crazy one for saying I cannot eat certain food bc my stomach can't digest it. Everything what was said in this video is relatable. Really amazing job. Plus after watching it I decided to go to a therapy (for the second time).. Thank you.

I thank you Susannah Laing for motivating my daughter when thing went really had for her. It was really so bad that she attempted committing murder until you invited Mrs Lyra Holt Dean for your TED show program. Am really so grateful for her finical assistance in my daughters life thank you so much once again.

"It hasn't taken years from me. It has given me years. Years that now I look forward to". Very powerful.

So grateful that I found this video. I had a very similar experience growing up in intensive sport and have recently awakened to the connection between those early life experiences and my experience with bulimia. The shame and manipulation is so real and opening up this discourse is saving so many lives. Thank you

Wow, thank you for this. I have been struggling with bulimia for a year now- and I can relate to every single one of your stories. The fake phone calls at the supermarket- I did that too many times. Feels kind of good to not be the only one, so thank you for sharing these intimate details about your illness, it gives a lot of hope to a lot of us.

As someone who struggled w/ both Anorexia & Bulimia you are incredibly brave to share your story. My eating disorder taught me how to lie too. I became a cunning mastermind to keep the cycle going & to keep it a secret. You are a beautiful person and everything you are saying is so dead on it all hit's home girl thank you for sharing this

this literally was the most amazing thing, you're so brave. Thank you for sharing, you've impacted my life so postively

Thank you for sharing this and so well shared. Turning your pain into beauty for others. You’re a gift 🌹

Wonderful TEDx talk Susannah, thank you for your honesty about your recovery from bulimia. This will help you but so many others too xx

Thank you for being so honest and open. It was very brave. x

I can’t believe that my first search for ‘bulimia’ on YouTube gave me a Cumbernauld result ... 1 mile from where I live. This is such a similar experience for me. I wonder if geography affects EDs thank you for your bravery x

Thank you so much for sharing! This gives me so much hope that i can get out of this- even after 15 years

So emotional, yet inspiring. Thank you so much.