Eating disorders aren’t easy to go through or recover from. 

In fact, disordered eating is considered to be one of the most relapse-prone disorders, with one-third to one-half of those in recovery reporting a relapse within the first two years in their journey, according to the Eating Recovery Center. 

“Relapses can happen for any number of reasons depending on what kinds of events or feelings trigger disordered eating behaviors,” DHS nurse Christy Higginbotham said. “A relapse doesn’t equal failure. Recovery is a long process.”  

For freshman Isaac McBride, the feeling is not foreign. He had an eating disorder for the majority of middle school, and after 2½ years of disordered eating, he began recovery in early 2025. 

His motivation, he said, was due to concern for his baby sister’s relationship with food and how being sick was affecting his current relationship.

“It was difficult to keep my eating normal, but remembering my baby sister and boyfriend really helped. I always wanted to prove that I could do it,” McBride said. 

Throughout the more difficult times, though, McBride stressed the importance of support systems. His friend, freshman Elliot Higgins, was especially important.

Higgins knew about McBride’s eating disorder since it developed. McBride has always prioritized being open and honest about the things he struggled with. 

Higgins had struggled with his own body image, so he knew what McBride was going through on a personal level.

“I could definitely relate to him more, and I think that when you have someone who truly understands where you are, it’s easier to help them out because you’re in the same boat,” Higgins said. “It helped me also understand how he was feeling and how I could help because I knew what I needed at the time.”

Over the past year, McBride relapsed “too many times to count.” 

But McBride didn’t give up on recovering and is determined to continue on his path to betterment, and has never thought of his relapses as “failures”.

“Relapse doesn’t erase all the progress I’ve made, or make me forget all the things I’ve learned. If it were really a failure, I wouldn’t still be going now,” McBride said.