Nicola Correia Damude Instagram – Some truth time. I’m sharing this because I get some Peace from knowing others may be going through the same thing and need to read this today. To know they’re not alone. My Eating Disorder has been really bad again these last few months. I feel like I was doing better there for a while. Starting to feel more Love and practicing active care for myself. But then a few new stressors came into my life and I went back down the rabbit hole. Strict dieting and restricting of food groups followed by extreme binges. Preoccupation with exercise and constantly body-checking and comparing myself to others and my old self. Never feeling good enough and not being able to enjoy the Beautiful Life I have because of my obsession with changing my body. And it didn’t just take an emotional toll. It affected my physical health as well. I’m doing better now but I can’t believe that at 42 I’m still trapped in this cycle. That, after almost 35 years of disordered eating and thinking, I am still so vulnerable to these episodes. It is an important reminder to me that Eating Disorders are complex mental health issues. My Life is wonderful. I am so lucky. I have a wonderful Career, supportive Family and Friends, constant positive reinforcement from my incredible Fans and the intellectual understanding and I am a strong and valuable person. But all of that can become powerless in the face of this life long struggle with body image and diet culture. I know that just by acknowledging this I am putting myself back on the path to healing and and getting back on track. I am so much better than I used to be and I know I will continue to heal on a deeper level because I’m committed to finally getting to a place where I don’t equate my value with my weight and where my brain doesn’t fall back on disordered eating when I’m under stress. I believe in my Healing and my Future. And, just in case you need to hear it today, I believe in yours too.❤️ #measureyourpowernotyourdresssize #bodyimage @cbcq #mentalhealth @bell_letstalk #women @i_weigh #eatingdisorderrecovery #eatingdisorderawareness #eatingdisorder @shadowhunterstv #shadowhunters #lightwood #lightwoods #malecsmama @i_weigh