Lauren Returns – Did She Beat Bulimia?
Lauren hid her life-threatening bulimia from her family for 13 years, before she confessed the truth on the set of The Doctors. At that point, she agreed to go into treatment – but is she better?
Lauren rejoins The Doctors. “It’s been five months,” ER Physician Dr. Travis Stork says. “How are you doing?”
“I’ve gotten my life back!” says Lauren. “I’ve experienced more in my time I’ve had now, in my recovery, than I have in the last 15 years.” She says that getting help, and being honest and vulnerable, is the most important step. “I have had to become weak and ask for help and reach out.”
“I just want to rephrase something,” interjects Dr. Stork. “You had to be STRONG and reach out!”
Linda Smith and Kristin Canan of Magnolia Creek Treatment Center for Women join the conversation to say how proud they are of Lauren. “One of my favorite parts of watching her and being part of this journey with her was watching how much she developed her worth,” says Kristin. “I think for Lauren the big difference was believing that she was actually worthy of it.”
“It is an ongoing process,” adds Linda, “and we will keep up with Lauren for about two years. We’re going to continue to bug her and make sure we stay on this path to recovery with her!”
Watch: Will a Secret Bulimic Get Help?
Lauren is left with one troublesome reminder of the bulimia she’s overcome – the damage to her teeth. “You’ve done so much on your end what we wanted to help,” Dr. Stork tells her. “We reached out to Ballantyne Center for Dentistry.” The Charlotte, North Carolina, dental team has agreed to give Lauren a brand-new smile – for free!
“Lauren, we are just so happy and hopeful for you,” Dr. Stork concludes.
