Game of Thrones star Sophie Turner has opened up about her eating disorder recovery, revealing that she had a "live-in therapist" to help keep her on track.
Speaking to Elle, the 26-year-old actor – who is currently pregnant with her second child, whom she is expecting with husband, Joe Jonas – said: "For a long time, I was quite sick with an eating disorder and I had a companion."
Elaborating on this, Sophie added, "I don’t know if you know what a companion is? It’s a live-in therapist, who would ensure I wasn’t doing anything unhealthy with my eating habits."
Recalling some of the tougher times during this period, Sophie pointed out how social media often exacerbated her eating disorder. "One night, I was playing over and over in my mind a comment I’d seen on Instagram. I was like, 'I’m so fat, I’m so undesirable,' and spinning out," she told Elle's Lottie Lumsden. "She said to me, 'You know, no one actually cares. I know you think this, but nobody else is thinking it. You’re not that important'."
Her therapist's comment stuck in her mind and went a long way in helping her recover, with the actor noting: "That was the best thing anyone could have told me."
It's one of the reasons she's decided to take a break from social media, deleting the Instagram app from her phone. "I have noticed that social media makes me incredibly anxious and it’s something I try to distance myself from," she explained. "Having it off my phone has been so helpful. Now, if I do have to go on it, it’s for a few minutes once or twice a week, rather than hours every day. It’s made such a difference. Live real life – it’s much more fun."
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As for what else she's been doing to regain her body confidence, Sophie attends regular therapy sessions. "I still have to do it every week. Occasionally, I go on a retreat to check myself, and I still have days when I feel depressed or anxious," she said. "It’s manageable now [though] – I have the tools. I know what’s good for me and what’s not good for me. I know what I have to do to get myself in a good headspace. It’s not debilitating – I know how to get myself out of it."
Good on you, Soph! ❤️
If you’re worried about your own or someone else’s health, you can contactBeat, the UK’s eating disorder charity, 365 days a year on 0808 801 0677 or beateatingdisorders.org.uk.
