Lighten the load

Although eating disorders have the highest mortality rate among mental disorders, treatment rates are extremely low, and have only recently shown an upward trend. Few hospitals in China have specialized eating disorder units, and those who do receive proper long-term treatment are in a minority.

Li from Shanghai found solace online. He stumbled upon social media accounts of people who had experienced eating disorders and joined one group chat offering support. Li said he finally felt understood.

Sharing his story, he discovered others in a similar situation still refusing food, struggling between bingeing and purging, and undergoing hospital treatment, or mostly battling the terrifying mental illness alone or in some cases with family support.

In the group chat, members refer to each other as "family".

They offer mutual encouragement during difficult episodes, even accompanying members to medical appointments, and share valuable treatment information.

For patients lacking family understanding, the greatest fear is being misunderstood and abandoned. Li realized that for families, understanding means genuine mutual support beyond words. This helped him understand why family therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy play irreplaceable roles in comprehensive eating disorder treatment.

After months of psychological counseling and professional help, Li's bingeing declined. Even under immense work pressure, he found new coping mechanisms.

"Food is not my enemy," Li stated. "It just reminds me to stop and see what I truly need."

Li also deleted the weight-tracking app he had used for years. When the confirmation prompt flashed on the screen — "Permanently delete all data?" — he took a deep breath and pressed "Yes".

"I'm going to buy some chocolate tomorrow," he said. "Sometimes, you just have to accept it. Sweetness has nothing to do with calories. It's just sweet."

Shi Yu said: "For eating disorder patients, eating is a process of negotiation with oneself. But that negotiation culminates not in victory or defeat, but in balance and coexistence."

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