Back from the Abyss: Psychiatry in Stories How healing happens with Dr. Hillary McBride-- Eating disorders and body dysmorphia
Mar 29, 2021
Dr. Hillary McBride, psychotherapist, researcher, and author opens up about her years of psychiatric treatment, discussing what worked and what didn't. Topics include healing through a therapeutic relationship, understanding guilt and shame in eating disorders, and the journey to self-understanding and embodiment.
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Early Eating Disorder Onset
- Hillary McBride began restricting food around grade six due to discomfort with puberty changes.
- She gradually introduced binging and purging by grade eight as a coping strategy for internal distress.
Resistance to Early Treatment
- At age 15-16, Hillary's mom pushed for treatment, but Hillary fiercely resisted and lied to therapists.
- She felt the eating disorder gave her agency amid family conflict and loss of personal space.
Eating Disorders as Agency Issues
- Eating disorders can be understood as disorders of restricted agency, providing a way to reclaim personal power.
- Power struggles with caregivers often deepen resistance and worsen symptoms.