When I saw the headline, My five-year bulimia nightmare, by Diane Keaton, I felt pangs of sorrow and a tender connection with Diane.
I've always felt, as I admired her through the years, that her smile showed a knowledge of pain and suffering as well as joy and love. And now I feel she's given us a glimpse into the source of that smile, suffering from bulimia and being on the path of recovery.
MailOnline quote:
"One of Hollywood's most beloved leading ladies Diane Keaton has revealed she endured a five-year battle with bulimia. The Oscar-winning actress, 65, admits she developed an eating disorder after being ordered to lose weight at the tender age of 19."
For those of us who know bulimia personally, we have knowledge of at least some of the private experiences she lived through with this soul-rending disease.
Her bulimia began forty-six years ago when she was 19. It was 1965. Bulimia did not have a name until 1970. She and I were bulimic at the same time. I thought I was the only person in the world who did what I considered horrible behaviors. I wonder if Diane felt that way, too.
The shame of acting out the bulimia behaviors, the fear of being discovered and the powerlessness and self-loathing for the inability to stop is what anyone with bulimia knows about. It's not only terribly painful. It's also terribly lonely.
I hope she has a sturdy and long-lasting recovery now. And I hope that if you have or had bulimia, you will continue to be diligent in caring for yourself and living a life that brings you love, joy and satisfaction.
The great thing about eating disorder recovery is that you get more than an end to symptoms. You get a rewarding life that is worth living.
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Written by Joanna Poppink, MFT. Joanna is a psychotherapist in private practice specializing in eating disorder recovery, stress, PTSD, and adult development.
She is licensed in CA, AZ, OR, FL, and UT. Author of the Book: Healing Your Hungry Heart: Recovering from Your Eating Disorder
Appointments are virtual.
For a free telephone consultation, e-mail her at
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