(Trigger Warning: Eating Disorders are the topic of the whole episode)
Karen Collins, owner of Bisousweet Confections, is a people lover, writer, and committed volunteer to the Pan Mass Challenge and Acton Boxborough United Way.
Karen has struggled with an eating disorder all of her life and came on the podcast to share her story in the hopes that her talking about her mental health and challenges will help spread the message that "it is okay to not be okay". Karen is committed to breaking the mental health stigma and hopes sharing her story will inspire someone else to open up and get help for their struggles.
During the episode we discuss:
1) Karen experiencing her first binge purge cycle at 16 years and old all of the problems Karen's eating disorder caused her over the years
2) Hiding her eating disorder from everyone and facing all of her struggles alone
3) Karen's road to "recovering" from her eating disorder and the strategies she used during her recovery
4) Her advice to anyone who is struggling with something and what she has learned through her own journey
Thank you so much for sharing your story, Karen and for all of the amazing work you do in our community! I am grateful to know you.
Resources for challenges with eating disorders:
1) https://anad.org/get-help/eating-disorders-helpline/
2) https://www.eatingrecoverycenter.com/resources/recommended-websites
3) https://www.eatingdisorderhope.com/information/resources-for-anorexia-bulimia-and-binge-eating-disorder
4) https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/
