Yahoo News The Traitors star Alex Gray opens up about her eating disorder battle
The article discusses symptoms of bulimia that some readers may find distressing.
The Traitors star Alex Gray has opened up about her battle with an eating disorder that lasted for years.
The presenter and actress, who was one of the Faithful to get murdered by the Traitors, uploaded a series of photos to her Instagram page this week that showed her exhibiting side effects of bulimia that are lesser-known. Amongst her symptoms were swelling, bloodshot eyes, translucent teeth and the irregular periods, to name a few.
In the caption, she detailed her story, writing: "From the age of 17 I suffered in silence with an eating disorder that ended up progressing into bulimia when I was 22. For 2 years I would be secretly binging, as I had no control over myself when I was around food.
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"I was ashamed and embarrassed, but more importantly at the time I was distressed that I’d lost complete control. This culminated in throwing up, as it was the only way I thought I was able to counteract the large amounts of food I would consume in one sitting.
"During those 2 years, my health completely deteriorated but I was in denial that bulimia had caused it… because I didn’t talk to anyone about what I was doing, no one was able to help me."
The reality star added that she didn't have anyone to confide in around that time and didn't know anyone experiencing the same thing. "I naively believed that making myself sick wasn’t going to have any negative effect on my health. Boy was I wrong," she wrote. "And boy did I wish I had someone shake me and wake me up to the detriment I was causing to my body and mind."
She shared that it has now been three years since she last forced herself to vomit, though she's still dealing with the damage caused to her body and hopes that her sharing her story will help others dealing with similar issues.
Related: The Traitors US is lacking one key element compared to the UK
"Bulimia nervosa is not a 'cheat code' to being skinny, it will not help you 'regain control' over your life, and it is not 'glamorous' cos supermodels supposedly do it," she wrote. "It’s a shortcut to long term ill-health, and you are far stronger than the choke-hold that the binge/purge cycle can have over you...
"Sending so much love and healing energy. You’re not alone. And you are far stronger than you think."
Alex has also used her Instagram to speak openly about her autoimmune condition, from the flare-ups, loss of energy, brain fog and more.
Beat (www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk) is a charity which raises awareness and understanding of eating disorders, and supports those affected by them. Beat now has a one-to-one secure messaging service. Its phone helpline for those aged 18 and over is 0808 801 0677, and there's also a dedicated Youthline for those under 18 – 0808 801 0711.
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