Since the age of 14 Elizabeth has been binging and purging 2-3 times every day. She says she first turned to food as a comfort and distraction from her difficult childhood. But she says her weight gain was embarrassing to her parents so she learned that purging could help her maintain a slim figure. She also began exercising compulsively to keep from gaining weight. As a single mother of two boys, Elizabeth worries that her obsession with food distracts from her parenting and sets a bad example for her kids to follow. Ironically, Elizabeth is studying to be an addiction counselor specializing in treating eating disorders. Still she knows she must get help herself because she "can't be sicker than her patients."