Overcoming Anorexia: Michal Eliyahu's Inspiring Journey to Recovery
Michal Eliyahu shares her inspiring recovery from severe anorexia, which began during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now 21, she advocates for mental health and self-love.
At 15, Michal Eliyahu faced a complex emotional struggle that went far beyond a simple desire for thinness. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic brought profound isolation, boredom, and an overwhelming need for control in a chaotic reality. What initially appeared to be a harmless pursuit of healthy eating quickly escalated into a dangerous and destructive trap.
The Spiral of Addiction
Reflecting on her journey in the podcast Hitnaari, Eliyahu shared, "I grew up in the Haredi sector, I didn't know what drugs were. So anorexia was my drugs. And then I fell into this cycle of addiction, weight loss, calories, and sports." The illness progressed rapidly, impairing cognitive function and causing her body weight to plummet to a dangerous low. A turning point arrived when a private dietitian referred her directly to the emergency room, leading to a lengthy and complex hospitalization.
"I agreed to deal with all the traumas I went through... I agreed to be in the pain for a moment, instead of constantly blurring it with external dopamine, with a disorder that doesn't serve me."
Although her first hospital stay was marked by a desire to recover, the physical changes and weight gain proved too overwhelming, resulting in an immediate relapse upon discharge. As her 17th birthday approached, realizing she could not break the destructive cycle alone, Eliyahu made a life-altering decision to return to the hospital—this time out of a genuine, autonomous will to live.
A New Path Forward
Her second inpatient treatment lasted seven full months, beginning with sleeping in a hospital lobby due to a severe shortage of beds. This time, the psychological support was deep and profound. For the first time, Eliyahu confronted her underlying pain and past traumas head-on rather than masking them with external distractions.
Today, at 21 and four years into her recovery, Eliyahu is thriving as an independent young woman. She works in a managerial role at a financial firm, lives in an apartment in Ramat Gan, and maintains a warm, loving relationship with her family. Her healing journey included transitioning to strength training and muscle building rooted in health and self-love.
Concluding her message to other struggling young women, Eliyahu offered words of encouragement: "To all the girls watching this: remember that in the end, weight is just a number. Weight is just a number, it doesn't define who you are. And if you feel like you need help - don't be ashamed to admit it, don't be ashamed to reach out... we are all human, we all need help sometimes."
