The Pressure to Push Through: Eli Teel on Eating Disorder Recovery as a Trans College Student

Say It Brave On Campus, Episode 1

We chose to honor this year's National Eating Disorders Awareness Week by trying something new - our first ever mini-series. The topic? Real stories from the intersection of college life, mental health, and eating disorders. So, for the next few days you'll see three back-to-back episodes appear in your feeds, each taking a different angle on these pivotal years. You'll also have the chance to meet a new guest host, Shannon Kopp, who has spent years cultivating recovery-focused relationships on campuses around the country.

For the first episode, Shannon talks with UC Davis graduate, Eli Teel, about navigating a mental and physical metamorphosis during college. He shares how academic pressure, gender dysphoria, and the shift to college contributed to the development of an eating disorder — and why coming out about it felt harder than coming out as trans.

Shannon and Eli's conversation brings a personal perspective to the intersections of LGBTQ+ mental health and eating disorders, the role of different treatment levels - residential, IOP and PHP - and why multiple rounds of treatment can feel like failure, but is actually meaningful progress.

Links:

• Eli Teel: eatingrecoverycenter.com/profile/eli-teel
• Mental Note Podcast www.mentalnotepodcast.com
• Pathlight Mood & Anxiety Center: www.pathlightbh.com
• Eating Recovery Center: www.eatingrecoverycenter.com
• Free Group Support: https://www.pathlightbh.com/support-groups
• Free Evaluation with a Trained Therapist: (877) 850-7199