Elena stood at the threshold. Her heart hammered against her ribs. She had spent her entire life curating an image. She had been on diets since she was fifteen. She had a folder on her phone full of "flattering angles" for selfies. The idea of removing the barrier between her body and the world felt like standing on the edge of a cliff.
Consider "Sarah," a 34-year-old teacher who suffered from anorexia nervosa for a decade. She told The Guardian that recovery didn't begin in a therapist's office—it began on a French naturist beach. "I saw a woman who looked like my future self," she said. "She had a C-section scar, loose skin, and she was laughing. I realized I had never seen an un-posed, middle-aged female torso before. I cried for an hour, then I took off my shorts."
"In a minute," Elena lied. "Just… fixing my suit."