Fairwinds Treatment Center’s top eating disorder experts know that sometimes the appearance of “perfection” can mask a potentially life-threatening eating disorder. That was the case for singer and former X-Factor judge Nicole Scherzinger, who recently revealed to Cosmopolitan Magazine that she battled bulimia for eight years, during the height of her fame as a member of The Pussycat Dolls. She says that although everything about her life looked perfect on the outside, inside she was struggling.
“It is such a horrible, paralyzing disease and it was such a dark time for me,” she tells the magazine. “I didn’t think anyone knew in my group or in my family because I hid it that well, I was so ashamed. I knew it wasn’t normal or healthy because I was hurting myself through this cycle of disordered eating. It was my drug, my addiction. It’s an endless vicious cycle.”
It is not entirely surprising that Scherzinger compares her bulimia to a drug. Fairwinds Treatment Center’s founder, Dr. M.K. (Khal) El-Yousef, and our top eating disorder expert, Dr. Pauline Powers, believe that both eating disorders and substance addictions are often caused by underlying psychological, mental and/or emotional issues. That’s why we depend on our unique dual diagnosis methodology, using a personalized combination of clinical treatment and therapeutic counseling, to address a patient’s health both inside and out.
If you or someone you love is struggling with an eating disorder, Scherzinger has a message for you: Lasting recovery is possible. Here at Fairwinds Treatment Center, one of the top eating disorder treatment centers in the nation, we have helped countless bulimia and anorexia sufferers find the path to peace and wellness. Contact us today to learn more.