Chasing Numbers details your battle with Anorexia Nervosa and your path toward recovery. Why was this an important book for you to write?

It was important for me to write the book because there are not a lot of stories out there of those who have battled this illness, less so from a male perspective. There are also a lot of misconceptions about eating disorders. Many studies have shown that 40% of the population still do not believe eating disorders are a serious mental illness when in fact they have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness. The book has also been so helpful for parents navigating the illness with their child. It is so hard to understand the illness unless you have gone through it. I wanted others to have the most raw and honest picture of what this illness truly is. I have also been donating 100% of the proceeds from Chasing Numbers to those seeking treatment with an eating disorder in Canada. This made it even more important that I really put everything I had into the book.

I appreciated how candid you were in your book. What was the hardest thing for you to write about?

The hardest part of writing the book was telling the story in a way where blame wouldn’t be placed on my parents. My parents did so much for me throughout my recovery and I knew it was hard on them. It was actually the reason I talked less about them in the book than I otherwise would have. It is so hard to see the illness in someone. It was even harder since I was so good at hiding it while I was around them. Parents often feel responsible for bad things that happen to their child so I was doing everything I could do to avoid them thinking that any of this was because of their actions or something they didn’t do.

What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?

One of the biggest ideas that I wanted this book to give to the reader that eating disorders are widespread and can impact anyone. When people think of eating disorders, they often think of a white college girl who is starving themselves. I wanted people to know that this is not the case and there are many diverse people that also suffer. Secondly, while presenting a story that showed how horrible Anorexia Nervosa can be, I also wanted to present a hopeful ending that shows others the illness can be beaten.

What is a common misconception you feel people have about anorexia?

A common misconception is that only females get Anorexia Nervosa. While it is much more common in females, a person of any gender can be diagnosed. 

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Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/09/25/what-this-illness-truly-is/