Jordan Fisher Talks 'Strength' in Revealing His Eating Disorder and Depression: 'Part of Who I Am' (Exclusive)
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“Anxiety, depression, and eating disorder. All of these things are just, they are part of who I am. They are not who I am,” Jordan Fisher tells PEOPLE
Jordan Fisher is speaking up about the "strength" that comes with sharing his mental health struggles.
The 29-year-old singer and actor spoke to PEOPLE about the relief he feels after publicly sharing his recovery from an eating disorder. Fisher was diagnosed with his eating disorder when his wife Ellie Woods was pregnant with their son Riley, 10 months.
"It's been really powerful," he admits. "The amount of people that have reached out just with stories of their own and how you never know what people are going through; I think that that was the thing that really stuck out to people… just a lot of love and respect and kudos in terms of taking care of business and prioritizing my health and mental health."
He continued, "Before my son was born, that was such a big part of all of it for me, is making sure that I felt like the better... whatever the best version of myself could feel like before he came."
Fisher — who stars in the new Broadway revival of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street — explains that too many people deal with similar situations but are too afraid to speak out about it because it's "taboo." The star says his "barrier-breaking moment" in therapy was learning how to "have a relationship with the things that I live with."
"Anxiety, depression, and eating disorder. All of these things are just, they are part of who I am. They are not who I am," he assures. "I think that more people need to hear that and don't get enough opportunities to."
Related: Stars Who've Spoken Out About Their Mental Health Struggles
Related: 30 Stars Who Battled Eating Disorders — and Came Out Stronger
Fisher admits that speaking out about his mental health struggles was a difficult step to take. He did so for the first time during an appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show last week.
"When I was diagnosed, I vowed that I would only ever talk about it when it felt right, when it felt authentic, when it felt organic, when it never felt pressed. I didn't know what that environment was going to be," Fisher tells PEOPLE, praising Drew Barrymore for creating a "safe space" for him to share his story on her talk show with respect and a "real human connection."
"We've become friends since that interview and have stayed connected. And that is something that I think is just ... it's powerful," he continues. "There's strength in being capable of sharing."
Fisher says sharing his story has "definitely moved people" and he appreciates being able to make an impact.
"Whether that helps me heal or helps someone else heal, we're all healing from something in our lives and we always will be," he adds.
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"I just knew that I had reflux and like all of these things that were making it difficult for me to eat and didn't realize that there were all of these traumas from my childhood that I needed to work through in therapy," he explained at the time.
He recalled dealing with "very, very difficult, physical times" that ultimately caused him to lose about 30 lbs., but assured he's doing a lot better now.
"I've actually never talked about this out loud on a platform like this at all," Fisher said. "And man, I'm so glad that I made it through that desert because here we are now talking to you. I am so much stronger."
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Read the original article on People.
