My Story

My name is Daria Dobrolinski and I have been in anorexia recovery for 5 years.

Growing up, I was the kid who loved food. My family and friends would always tease me—lovingly— about how much I could eat and how I seemed to savor every bite. Food wasn’t just fuel; it was joy, connection, and comfort. But something changed when I turned 12. Almost overnight, I began feeling like my body wasn’t good enough. There was a creeping voice in my head telling me I needed to change.

I started dieting, cutting out foods I once loved, and exercising obsessively. At first, it felt empowering, like I was in control. But no diet satisfied me, no amount of exercise felt like enough. Soon, I wasn’t eating much at all. What started as “self- improvement” turned into a full-blown war against my own body. Months passed, and my world became smaller—calories, scales, and mirrors consumed me. By the time I was 13, my parents started to notice. I remember the car ride to the doctor’s office like it was yesterday—screaming, crying, swearing that I was fine. But I wasn’t.

When the doctor said the words “anorexia nervosa,” my parents’ faces broke. I’ll never forget the disbelief in their eyes or the way my dad quietly reached for my mom’s hand. They admitted me to a Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) almost immediately. At 13, I spent two months of my seventh-grade year in treatment, missing over 50 days of school. But I wasn’t ready. I went through the motions, eating just enough to get out. I didn’t want to get better—I just wanted out.

For a while, I pretended I was better. But pretending wasn’t enough. I fell back into restriction, harder and faster than before. By 14, just two months into my freshman year of high school, my mom dragged me back to the doctor. This time, they did an EKG, and the doctor told me something that made my stomach drop: my heart rate was dangerously low, like that of someone in a coma. Hearing those words, flipped a switch in me. I knew I had to fight for my life.

A few days later, I was back in PHP. But this time was different. I wanted recovery, even if the voices in my head didn’t. I was scared, but I also knew I couldn’t keep living like this. I woke up every day battling those voices, sometimes losing, sometimes winning. A week into treatment, I went to my clinician and said something she didn’t expect: “I want to go to residential.”

Residential was the hardest three weeks of my life. I cried almost every day, missing home, missing my family, missing the comfort of familiarity. On the third night, I begged my mom over the phone to take me home, promising I’d get better on my own. She refused, and deep down, I knew she was right. I had to stay and fight. Over those three weeks, I went from eating 25% of my meals to 100%. I started speaking in groups, opening up, and facing the pain I’d been trying to starve away. On February 11th, 2020, I was discharged.

Recovery hasn’t been easy, but it’s been worth it. Every day since then, I’ve chosen life. I’ve chosen freedom. Over the past five years in active recovery, I’ve rebuilt a relationship with food, my body, and myself. I’ve learned that I am so much more than a number on a scale or the size of my jeans. I’ve discovered strength I didn’t know I had and joy I thought I’d lost forever. Recovery is a choice I make every single day, and it’s the most important decision I’ll ever make. Life after anorexia isn’t just surviving—it’s thriving.

Debunking Myths

Click on cards to see the truth behind these myths.

Anorexia Statistics

• Eating disorders have the second highest mortality rate of any psychiatric illness, behind opiate addiction.
• 15% of women will suffer from an eating disorder by their 40s or 50s, but only 27% receive any treatment for it.
• An estimated 9% of the U.S. population, or 28.8 million Americans, will have an eating disorder in their lifetime.
• Men with anorexia are more likely to experience co-occurring depression and have less access to mental health services.
• Every 52 minutes 1 person dies as a direct consequence of an eating disorder.

Sources: ANAD - JAMA Psychiatry - Balance - Break Binge Eating - Eating Recovery Center - NEDA

Diagnosis

Diagnosing anorexia nervosa typically involves a comprehensive assesssment by a healthcare professional, such as a doctor, psychologist, or psychiatrist. The evaluation includes:

• Medical History: Health care providers review the individual's eating habits, weight history, and any physical symptoms.
• Physical Exam: Health care providers do a physical examination, sometimes including blood work to check for signs of malnutrition, including low weight, irregular heart rate, or other physical complications. Health care providers also typically run physical examinations to check for other medical conditions that may be causing the eating issues.
• Psychological Assessment: Anorexia is not diagnosed based on a physical examination, psychological assessments are crucial to diagnosis. Health care providers ask a series of questions related to the individual's feelings, thoughts, eating habits, and behaviors. These questions may be personal but it is important to answer honestly so the health care provider can provide an accurate diagnosis and establish a treatment plan.

It's important to note that anorexia can affect individuals of any body size, and being underweight is not required for a diagnosis. Early diagnosis is critical to prevent long-term health complications.

Treatment

Treating anorexia involves a multidisciplinary approach to address the physical, emotional, and psychological aspects of the disorder. A team approach is best, including doctors, mental health professionals and other healthcare professionals. Here is what is commonly involved in treatment.

• Medical Stabilization: For those experiencing severe health complications, hospitalization may be necessary to stablize vital signs and address malnutrition.
• Other Programs: There are many clinics that specialize in treating eating disorders. Many offer day treatment programs or residential treatment programs rather than a hospital stay.
  • Residential: Residential treatment requires the individual to stay at a facility where they recieve 24-hour care.
  • Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP): PHP provides day long treatment for individuals that do not require 24-hour care and supervision. Though PHP is a step down from residential, it is still a highly structured treatment enviroment. Often, PHP is Monday - Friday from the morning into the afternoon (eg. my PHP was roughly 6 hours a day, 9:00am - 2:30pm).
  • Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP): IOP provides support for those who need more care than weekly outpatient appointments but don't require PHP or residential level of care. Often, IOP meets 3-5 days a week for 2-3 hours.
• Therapy: There are many therapies used to treat anorexia, here are the most common:
  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): CBT is a form of talk therapy (psychotherapy) that can helps individuals become aware of negative thinking patterns or behaviors and helps develop healthier ways of thinking and coping. It emphasizes breaking the cycle of harmful behaviors and replacing them with more constructive habits.
  • Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT): DBT is another form of talk therapy designed to help individuals manage intense emotions and develop skills for improving relationships and coping with emotions. DBT teaches skills in four main catagories: mindfulness, emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness.
  • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): ACT is a mindfulness-based therapy that focuses on accepting difficult thoughts and emotions rather than fighting them, while commiting to behaviors that align with one's values. For anorexia, ACT encourages individuals to stop avoiding uncomfortable feelings about food or body image and instead work toward meaningful goals, such as improving health and compassion.
  • Family-Based Therapy (FBT): FBT, also known as the Maudsley Method, is an evidence-based approach for treating eating disorders in adolescents. It involves parents or guardians taking an active role in ensuring the adolescent eats properly and restores weight (if necessary). Over time, the responsibility for managing food and eating is gradually returned to the adolescent as their health stabilizes. FBT also focuses on repairing family relationships and creating a supportive enviroment for recovery.
  • Exposure Therapy: Exposure therapy is a behavioral therapy technique that helps individuals confront and reduce fear or anxiety associated with certain situations. For anorexia this may look like: gradually re-introducing fear foods, eating in social settings, or challenging rituals around eating. By repeatedly facing these fears in a controlled enviroment, individuals can reduce their anxiety and develop healthier behaviors.
  • Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) EMDR is a type of therapy orginally developed to help people heal from trauma and PTSD. It helps the brain reprocess distressing memories so they're no longer emotionally triggering. During sessions, the therapist guides the patients to recall specific traumatic or distressing experiences while also engaging in their bilateral stimulation (e.g. moving their eyes from side to side, tapping hands, or listening to alternating sounds). Anorexia nervosa often has underlying emotional pain or trauma driving the behaviors and EMDR can help process these experiences.
• Medications: Although there is no medication specifically for anorexia, antidepressants or anti-anxiety medications may be prescribed to adress related mental health conditions.
• Support Groups: Peer support can provide a sense of community and encouragement during anorexia recovery. Find a free online support group here.

Sources: Mayo Clinic - Healthline - Mayo Clinic - Cleveland Clinic - Psychology Today - eatingdisorders.org

Get Help

YOU ARE NOT ALONE

• If you are concerned you or someone you know might be struggling with anorexia, you can take NEDA's free online screening here.
• If you are looking for eating disorder treatment providers in your area or online, here are websites that can help you find provider listings:
  • Fay Nutrition
  • ANAD
  • FindEDHelp
  • EDReferral
• Helplines:
  • ANAD Helpline : +1 (888) 375-7767
  • National Alliance for Eating Disorders Helpline : +1 (866) 662-1235
• If you are in CRISIS, do not hesitate to call or text these confidential crisis lines:
  • Suicide and Crisis Lifeline : 988
  • Crisis Text Line : Text "HOME" to 741-741
• Free Resources:
  • List of Free Support Groups
  • Free DBT Course
  • Free CBT Resources