Eating Disorders as Responses to Disordered Systems: How Sophie Szew Harnesses Creativity to Imagine a World Without Eating Disorders

Say It Brave On Campus, Episode 3

What if eating disorders aren't simply individual illnesses, but rational responses to disordered systems? In the third and final episode of our college-focused miniseries, Shannon Kopp speaks with Sophie Szew - mental health justice advocate, master's student at the Stanford Graduate School of Education, and Forbes' 30 under 30 honoree - about how her lived experience opens up a broader conversation concerning schools, healthcare, and the societal forces that shape student mental health.

Sophie reveals her early experiences with learning differences and disordered eating, and how attempts to "fix" these issues hurled her into educational and medical systems that often stratify and harm young people. She masterfully flips the script by reframing eating disorders as responses to disordered societies rather than individual pathologies — challenging us to tap into our own creativity and imagine what it means to build systems that allow all of us to live more vibrant lives.

Links:

• Sophie Szew: amstudies.stanford.edu/people/sophie-szew
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sophie_szew/?hl=en
• Mental Note Podcast www.mentalnotepodcast.com
• Pathlight Mood & Anxiety Center: www.pathlightbh.com
• Eating Recovery Center: www.eatingrecoverycenter.com
• Free Group Support: https://www.pathlightbh.com/support-groups
• Free Evaluation with a Trained Therapist: (877) 850-7199