Olivia Pillai Quinney

Imagine finally gathering the courage to say out loud: “I’m afraid of food.” “I’m scared of gaining weight.” “I can’t stop purging.” And then being told: “You don’t look  like you have an eating disorder.”   Or “Your BMI is still in the healthy range, so just keep doing what you’re doing.” For someone with an eating disorder, comments like these reinforce shame, silence, and secrecy — the very things that help the illness thrive. One of the cruelest myths about eating disorders is that they...

Sometimes I think of my brain as a little kid tugging at my sleeve, begging for just one more spark of excitement, one more burst of dopamine. It’s exhausting and beautiful all at once—the way it craves stimulation, comfort, and connection. What I didn’t understand for years was how that same craving shaped my relationship with food, with my body, and with control. As a person with ADHD, I am always chasing that next hit of dopamine. It’s like my brain is constantly scanning for...

Shared with permission by Dave Gervais, father and NIED Education Committee Board Member On December 5, 2021, Dave Gervais walked out of...