**Content warning: This episode includes discussion of suicide. Please use your discretion when listening and connect with your support system as needed. If you're experiencing suicidal thoughts, help is available. Text or call 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
Episode description:
When their daughter Grace developed an eating disorder, John and Kathy experienced the heartbreak and confusion familiar to many parents. In this episode of Peace Meal, they speak with raw honesty about the helplessness of those early years, the shock of seeing Grace’s personality shift under the illness, and the mix of fear and relief that came with entrusting her to treatment.
When Grace turned 18, she left treatment, and John and Kathy lost the ability to make decisions for her care. She struggled through a college relapse that felt devastating at the time. John and Kathy talk about learning to support Grace through those years—finding community with parents who truly understood, separating their daughter from the illness even when it felt impossible, and accepting that recovery had to be something Grace wanted for herself.

John and Kathy share their story because they remember desperately needing to hear from parents further along. Grace eventually chose recovery for herself, and their family reached a place that once felt impossible. Their hope in speaking publicly is that other families navigating the same fears will know that recovery remains possible.
We cover:

* Why finding community with other parents matters
* How eating disorders can temporarily change behavior and personality
* The complexity of supporting an adult child through treatment
* Why brain healing continues long after weight restoration
* Why setbacks during recovery don't mean failure

In John and Kathy's words:

* On the isolation families can face: "One of the biggest benefits was to have a community of people that understood what we were going through. Even though we have good friends and family that supported us, I don't think they really understood the magnitude of what was going on. These [other parents in treatment] were parents that we felt—OK, they're not judging us. They're great parents. They have great kids. They just have this disease."
* On what recovery has meant for their family: "We've had a lot of joy around dining room tables for years, gone for years…having [Grace] attend a meal was like walking on eggshells. And it took a wonderful holiday or a family event and turned it into kind of a stressful event. Not, not that she did it, but the illness did. You have to really separate those two things because they're two very different things. And now for at least the last two or three years, family gatherings are truly what they should be. They're family gatherings. And I don't even really think about it."
* On John rebuilding his relationship with Grace: "After so many years of this illness, I figured that the relationship that I had with her was going to be beyond damaged... Now she and I talk at least once or twice a week. She calls me for counsel. She calls to say hello. And to be perfectly honest with you, it’s really the reason that we reached out to share the story…and I want parents to have hope that that can be their story too."

For families seeking support: Explore our Resources for Families or call The Emily Program at 1-888-364-5977.
About the podcast:
Peace Meal is a podcast hosted by The Emily Program that covers topics related to eating disorders, body image, and how society may influence our thinking.
You can find Peace Meal on Back to Episodes