Dying to Eat, Eating to Die

Even as a child, Dr. Marianne C. Joyason struggled with feeling unhappy. She had difficulties with her weight and a negative body image. She was also clumsy and often sick. It wasn't until many years later that Joyason could look back and see the warning signs of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). At the time, she didn't believe she had any type of mental-health challenges.

Her family didn't recognize her struggles either, and their inability to acknowledge Joyason's OCD, anxiety, depression, and overeating made her recovery a long and isolated one. Her emotional issues led to physical ones as she tried to stop overeating. Through stories of her childhood and powerful poetry, Joyason recalls the many challenges it seemed she might never overcome.

Although Joyason's adolescence and early adulthood were difficult, she didn't give up. Joyason found help, and once she didn't have to suffer alone anymore, she started to heal. She eventually discovered a name for her strange compulsions. She gained allies, understanding, and acceptance.

In her inspirational memoir, Dying to Eat, Eating to Die, Joyason chronicles the daily struggles faced by an OCD sufferer and the therapy that led her to a happier, more hopeful outlook on life.