A lot of my art here at Monochrome Mythology could be characterized as pleasing, realistic portraiture but I don’t want to shy away from more challenging subjects either and that includes eating disorders. As of this writing, we’re right in the middle of National Eating Disorders Awareness Week (NEDAW) and I’m proud to be an official collaborator for this celebration of awareness and resources.
A Short History
My late 20’s and up through my 30’s was heavily skewed by a mostly private battle with anorexia. I was not particularly aware that I had a problem of any kind and that I was just being “calorie conscious.” The obsessive use of my bathroom scale, overexercising, and food restriction was setting me up for some real danger as these habits soon became the norm of everyday life.
I remember my first interaction with a medical provider to treat the anorexic behaviors was not through a primary care visit or specialist to get the ball rolling, no. Rather, it was because of a brutal car crash that happened over a decade ago.
Rushing to work and making a left turn at the wrong time caused a collision that is hard to forget. I totaled my car but it was the comments from the nurse treating my fractured wrist that really made the most impact – that was the kind of thing that I needed to hear. My brother and his wife also jumped on board and encouraged me to seek out treatment.
After many years of outpatient treatment, I am in a position of strength. It’s hard to imagine trying to navigate eating disorders on one’s own, if the awareness is even there to begin with.
The Power of Art
Art therapy was a favorite practice of mine and was effective in helping me observe and treat the disorder. The above sketch is a new one based on an older photo but a lot of the drawings and reflections were similar – a demonic bird creature spewing its nonsense at me in some way.
I have a lot to say about the recovery journey and am looking forward to refining this through a fictional comic book project that begins in earnest this year. Like Burden, the visuals will be a black and white ink narrative that touches on core cognitive distortions and the way through them. It is one of those projects that I wasn’t quite ready to tackle in a big way until recently. The art will be scratchy, expressive, and admittedly a bit painful to experience – the kind of thing that makes for a honest story.
Getting Help
The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) has a lot of wonderful resources for those interested in learning more about these illnesses. That includes a screening tool that can help with risk assessment.
If you are here in Nashville, then I also would highly recommend checking out Renewed Eating Disorder Support. They are a regional nonprofit doing amazing work in the communities they serve here.
Nobody should have to battle eating disorders alone and it’s been a real blessing to find help for something that otherwise grows in isolation.
Keep telling stories,
Jeremy