Eating disorders have been the culprit of too much suffering in this world, and they are silent but deadly. Not only do they have the highest mortality rate of mental illnesses but over eight million Americans have an eating disorder. So here's what you should know...

Eating disorders are incredibly common.

Karen Carpenter was one of the first women to bring eating disorders to the media. Her death due to an eating disorder was absolutely tragic and a shock to many. Her music was loved and cherished by millions but it just goes to show how much more complex eating disorders are than they seem. Someone that seemed to "have it all" was unable to see herself in the same light, and her life was taken in the process.

Despite the perfect image media crafts, many celebrities have suffered from eating disorders, including Lady Gaga, Elton John and Princess Dianna.

Lady Gaga stuck out in my mind because I've seen her breaking the mold through social media and sending out positive messages to her fans and followers. She has made several statements promoting body positivity. I highly respect her courage for trying to obliterate body standards and influence other in the same way. Many may believe that eating disorders only occur in women, but they can also occur in men. In fact, studies have shown that a large number of eating disorders in men go undetected.

An article that goes into detail about Elton John's recovery mentioned about how he thought he had a handle on his situation.

"He said he was in denial, and he thought it was something he could fix on his own."

What makes eating disorders so tricky is that they manipulate you into thinking you are in control over your actions around food, but in reality, the more "in control" you become, the more out of hand the eating disorder becomes. My eating disorder began at a young age, and as I got older I thought I could fix the issue myself. But when I failed time and time again, I realized that I was really no longer in control, and I needed professional help in order to recover.

Seventy-seven percent of individuals with eating disorders report that the illness can last anywhere from one to 15 years or even longer in some cases.

I was reading articles about celebrities who have died or suffered from an eating disorder, and it became pretty clear that most of the people writing those articles hadn’t had a similar experience. Eating disorders kill. They rob you, they strip you of dignity, they shred every ounce of your self-worth. It's not just a diet problem, it's not just a girl wanting to fit in, it's not just a little insecurity and it is certainly not just about food. Food may be an effect but it's not the cause. It’s so much more than just a definition. It's all-consuming and it shouldn’t be taken lightly. I don't expect everyone to understand, and I wouldn't wish an eating disorder on my worse enemy but we need to realize that eating disorders are very serious and can easily go undetected.

If each of those celebrities could have looked at themselves like thousand of others did, then they would be seeing a strong, talented, creative people they are.

One thing that really impacted my recovery was looking at the incredible people around me and thinking, why can't they see themselves like I see them? It became like looking in a mirror. I was expecting others to see themselves like I saw them, yet I realized I couldn't even see myself the way they saw me. Recovery became reachable when I saw how many incredible people there were suffering, and I was one of them, realizing I was worth more. Seeing yourself through others eye can often show you what you've been missing. So today think of all those suffering and think about how much love you want to show them, and then, shine the light upon others, but don't forget to shine it upon yourself.

Treat yourself like you would treat you dearest friend.