Welcome back to This Person I Met! My name is Kayla, and I’m the host of this podcast.

About 28.8 million Americans are currently affected by an eating disorder. That’s about 9% of the entire US population. And yet, nobody seems to truly understand what they are unless they actually struggle with one. Even then, stigma prevents many from ever reaching out and seeking support, or even realizing that they might have one. As you’ll be able to tell by my comments during this segment, the topic of eating disorders is a little personal to me. Not because I suffered from one, but because one of my close family members did, which eventually led to her hospitalization. And so, this episode is dedicated to one simple question: defining an eating disorder. Talking to Judith Banker, the founder and president of Center for Eating Disorders in Ann Arbor, Michigan, felt like I was in a counseling session myself. Even as somebody who witnessed the spiral in somebody else in such close proximity, I quickly realized through our conversation that the complexity of an eating disorder is not something that can quickly be unpacked. Today, I still struggle to understand what happened to my family member and why it did. Despite this complexity, it remains ever important for further treatment, research, and support to be developed for the millions that need it. Treatment is a necessity for saving millions of lives, people that could potentially be your parent, sibling, or neighbor…eating disorders do not discriminate, and they are unafraid to tear through one’s life and harm them in ways that are still misunderstood.

Without further ado, here’s Judith.

Welcome back to This Person I Met! My name is Kayla and I’m the host of this podcast.

If you don’t know, this is the second part of Nikki’s story, where she dives into how she turned a past of abuse and trauma into what she describes today as “intentional living.” Nikki doesn’t hide from her past: she builds onto it and uses it as proof that she is worthy of all the happiness she has today. Now in her 50s, she fights for others like her who deserve to heal and build their own future on their own accord with her education in social work, nonprofit called the Worthy Brown Girl Network, and podcast, The Worthy Well by Nikki G. If you haven’t listened to the first segment, now’s the time to do so.

Without further ado, here’s the last part of Nikki’s story.

Welcome back to This Person I Met! My name is Kayla and I’m the host of this podcast.

When I approached Nikki, the first thing I noticed was how well spoken she was. Words flowed from her mouth so naturally and so coherently that I found it hard for me to keep up. However, behind her demeanor was a story riddled with trauma that made her the woman she is today, building a story that does not let her past define who she is now. Nikki, now working with A Brighter Way, an organization helping the previously incarcerated, turned her past into the change she wants to see today as the founder of her own nonprofit, the Worthy Brown Girl Network and even her own podcast, The Worthy Well Podcast with Nikki G. Her story reverberates one powerful message: all of us are worthy of healing and building a future dedicated to personal happiness, no matter our past and the trauma we believe we will never be able to move past.

Due to the length of her segment, Nikki’s story will be split into two episodes: one tackling her background and past traumas, and another where we discuss what she has learned and how she is moving forward as she shares insights on self-worth.