I just peeled an orange and ate it. Bright orange, citrus smell, juicy, pulling the sections apart and popping one at a time in my mouth and savoring the fleeting fresh flavor. It was a thoroughly enjoyable moment. It isn’t that simple for everyone.

It is easy to forget that, for some people, that exact activity triggers stress, anxiety, even fear. The decision of whether to eat that orange may have been a difficult one the person has been pondering for an hour or longer. That pondering likely interfered with that person’s ability to focus in class, at work, or fully connect to someone they care about. After the person ate it, guilt and distress may have been triggered, further removing them from fully experiencing life in the moment.

National Eating Disorders Awareness Week hopefully gives all of us pause to reflect on the fact that, even if we are not challenged with an eating disorder or disordered eating, some of our friends, family, teammates, and partners may be. The simple act of peeling and eating an orange may not be just that for everyone. This week of awareness can be another opportunity to get the conversation started, to chip away at reducing the stigma of having an eating disorder or disordered eating.

I have been fortunate to be a part of Athletes Connected at the University of Michigan, a project to help reduce the stigma of help-seeking by student athletes for mental health issues. As part of the project a former student athlete, Kally Fayhee, was bold enough to share her story about an eating disorder she had while a student athlete at the University of Michigan. Fear and stigma kept her from reaching out for help for a very long time. Once she did, and received support without judgment, she was able to begin her journey of recovery. Prior to that, no one knew her internal battles around eating, restricting and purging. 

I am of the belief that we can all do a better job of reducing the stigma around eating disorders and disordered eating.

What can we do?  We can begin to talk about it like any other ailment or injury a person may experience. We can help eliminate the shame that often accompanies an eating disorder and body image. By talking about it in a compassionate and non-judging way, we might just open the door for another person to be able to get the help and support they deserve. Maybe that person can eventually enjoy eating that orange the way I just did.

Barb Hansen, LMSW is an Athletics Counselor at the University of Michigan Athletic Department.