Twig | A Short Film About Anorexia & Mental Illness

A short film about anorexia and mental illness, based on a true story. I decided to create this video to spread more awareness about anorexia and the situations that anorexic people are faced with everyday.
May is Mental Health awareness month! Let's do our part by giving our Mental Health the attention and care it deserves.
Feeling Suicidal? Call this number anytime: 800-273-8255
For Eating Disorder Crisis Situations, call: 800-931-2237
Story & Script : Miles Lindley & Reece Stecklein
Cinematography & Editing : Miles Lindley
Starring : Reece & Avery Stecklein
This video was created for a project in the e-Communications academy.
Shot with a Canon Rebel t6, a EF-S 18-55mm IS II, EF 50mm f/1.8 STM, and an EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III lens
Music by bensound.com

[@tashmidaguruses6635]

The first thing that triggered me was that alarm

[@adi3796]

I was gonna comment this 😅

[@blond-w1c]

SAMEE OMG

[@ayah3072]

I hate the sound of alarms omg

[@cnaizech4644]

I WAS ABT TO SAY

[@amna2874]

Congratulatory 500 likes 👍🏻

[@justratthings4859]

you know its getting bad again when you start to watch these films

[@crunchysaranwrap6799]

we'll get through this. wish you the best of luck

[@certifiedcomorbidity2587]

Bro I feel attacked lol

[@mumtazabdirazak4799]

Same idk how to stop😊

[@artistic_kind_of_style]

that was a bit too personal...

[@artistic_kind_of_style]

@@mumtazabdirazak4799 twinsies

[@parisgbrl]

The article she reads at 0:40 is titled, “Foods that contain almost zero calories.” Apples came up first and my ed twisted brain went “ACTUALLY THEY CONTAIN 100 CALORIES SO-“ brooo😭

[@user-mn5tn1ih1h]

I thought it was more around 80 nooo

[@haroldlovestodraw4891]

It’s terrible, but I did the same thing 🥲

[@realangelbby]

Thought water or coffee was gonna pop up

[@SalemsForgottenWitch]

Well for "normal" people 80 calories is almost nothing considering the average grown up needs 2500 cal a day.

[@lbojon15]

@@SalemsForgottenWitch what 2500? oh no

[@mcyt_fan23]

me at school : “ yea i don’t like the school food” me at home: “nah i ate at school” 😂

[@lovatude2670]

Please eat ❤

[@Alexa-3-f1h]

If this is serious I know this place called princeton medical center you should try it😥🐻❤😥

[@thelifeofjamieg]

Fr

[@justsubliminal2496]

That's so me

[@jadaaa-i9k]

As someone who is Anorexic, this is so good! I was always told "omg you have such a good body! I wish I had your body" or just skinny shamed which really messed with my self-esteem and confidence. Seeing this short-film made me feel like I wasn't the only one going through things like this

[@froge9843]

Hi, I wish you the best and stay healthy please :(

[@blazingstar9638]

Right. I have had the same experience ❤

[@nikecontd]

Anorexia really is this cold calm kind of emptiness. Everyday just feels like a walk without destination. You look at things without seeing them. Nothing really exists anymore.

[@ilovebuckwheat]

this hit way too hard wtf 😭

[@sunnydazer]

I cried watching my life unfold in this video

[@iyuannnn]

The fact is that I see these videos to motivate myself

[@simonuously]

when she picked up the stress reliever medication and looked at the back omg i do that way to much or google the calories i’m medication i hate this ed

[@Uni-dq7wr]

hope you get better now❤

[@Sam-fu8mx]

This was me 1 month ago. I was extremely obsessed with weight and looks and I thought the only way I could get validation was by being thin. I would save photos of skinny girls on my phone and in the morning I wouldn't eat because I didn't want to get bloated. I'm better now and I haven't cut in nearly 6 months. I also haven't weighed myself in a little bit over a month and I'm trying to eat 3 meals a day again, it gets better you just have to try and put your mind to ut

[@aoibhinnogrady3827]

I'm proud of you for fighting 💜

[@elhamabdeljalil7295]

THATS AMAZING GREAT JOB U GOT THIS IM SO PROUD OF U

[@ervabayram8247]

wow i’m extremely proud of you

[@anotherdayanotherslay2006]

I’m so proud of you

[@skrittle555]

i hope everyone here in the comments knows that you deserve recovery. i struggled for 12 years and it was hell. recovery is not rainbows and unicorns. you will probably cry, and want to quit at least 100 times, and have many moments of weakness. but once you put in the work, make the choice to recover every single day... once you come out on the other side, it's like nothing i can explain. it's like freedom.

[@mollyschmidt5078]

Obsessed w ur pfp 😅 proud of you though!!

[@trappedinmyhead4701]

This completely shows what it’s like for me right now…

[@fenya3207]

im really sorry , i hope u get better

[@alexnabi5779]

relatable tho💀

[@lydiaxrosee8811]

Fr lmao

[@paula-iy6mu]

fr

[@lydiaxrosee8811]

@Koa Nothing 😫 Humour is merely a coping methof

[@annakietzmann5025]

Heh fr tho

[@sydneyharris7318]

frrr

[@cristinagroppali3308]

the fact that i had the exact same thinspo pictures says a lot...

[@piperkelley9843]

you know it’s bad when you’re watching these again :/

[@whath8933]

yesterday was the day where i start to feel my body is giving up on me, i get so physically and mentally weak i could hardly get up nor move. everything is so painful. im on a thin line between being in the hospital,im slowly trying to eat now because i hate needles. listen kids or anyone, starving yourself is not worth it and its painful

[@crystalprater8860]

MORE COMPASSION AND MUCH LESS JUDGMENT NEEDED. PERIOD.

[@theawesomevlogchannel816]

This has been me for the last 2 months. I've haven't felt like doing anything but I've gone out and sought adventure anyway. I hope the girl is doing okay

[@nazcavus6221]

hey, its been a while since you commented this, I hope things are getting better. even if they aren't seeming better straight away, just know that it takes time. I wish the best for you :)

[@sanomanjiro8356]

This is so good I Can tell that it's true

[@zehra5527]

I am someone who has been feeling this way for more than 2 years and I must say, this is astounding! But honestly, this reminds me of myself so much that I've realized how unhealthy I really am. I'm obsessed with losing weight and I just love comparing myself and bringing myself down, so that I can feel more "motivated" into losing more weight and looking like the girls I see on the internet. I have a friend who has just recovered from Anorexia and I am so proud of her! The one thing that does upset me is that I promised her that I would eat because at some point she told me that she felt so fat because of me. You see, Anorexia changes you. It makes you turn your back on everyone because you want to be more like them. I feel as if Anorexia is more of a mental illness than a physical because your brain is trying to bring you down every single day, which makes you stop eating and makes you feel as if you're too skinny or too fat. Either is bad. I want everyone to know that you will get better! Recovery is possible. You see, it might seem as if you won't get better right away, but sooner or later, you will realize that you are perfectly normal and beautiful just the way you are and will finally accept yourself! I'm trying to love myself again and I am also trying to eat more. I will recover and so will you! You just have to try. Look around you, there are so many people who care about you! I care about you and I'll always be here! You can add me on snap, @Zehra15685 if you ever need to talk about your problems. I can try to talk to you and maybe we can be there for each other!

[@user-siuuuu]

You are beautiful just like you are! ❤

[@snipergirl9877]

Ok so this short film had me wanna sorta open up that I'm an anorexic and that lately its been so hard to cope. It starts with small things like eating less and doing exercise until it becomes weighing urself eight times a day and doing OMAD to starve your body. Then when you lose the weight and look like a ghost ur unhappy bc u feel like u aren't pretty enough. I hope for all the ppl out there coping with an ed know that u are more than just a number on that scale, ur worth is more than that! Ik it's something u r so used to hearing but I used to eat and puke myself until I got rlly thin and my clothes fit so big. Anorexia is a nightmare but u can fight this!!

[@Lexi-ls1ot]

I recently got diagnosed with anorexia (I had it for a year prior to the diagnoses) and I have seen all the changes it has made to my life. Things like this should never be romanticised because they aren’t “cute” or “quirky” they are deadly. I really hope you are doing better

[@snipergirl9877]

@@Lexi-ls1ot things might get better because I'm gonna get a nutritionist and hope that my psychiatrist can find me an Ed therapist or support group. Stay strong too :] I hope things get better on ur journey to recovery, this battle ain't easy but I believe in you!

[@S0FlA]

@@snipergirl9877 you deserve everything positive! Stay strong! 💓

[@snipergirl9877]

@@S0FlA my name is sofia too! things have gotten so bad lately ive been dropping so much weight and getting thinner, but its bc im depressd, but yeahim going to try and stay strong. thank u, i really needed to hear that today :)

[@S0FlA]

@@snipergirl9877 of course. I believe in you, I know you can do it! I’ve also been kind of depressed lately but that might just be because it’s the winter and I think I might have seasonal depression 🥲anyways you’re amazing you got this!

[@Nick-qv8qp]

TW: WARNING: TALKS ABOUT ILLNESS AND E.D!!!!!!!!!!!! Recently i started crying about my weight, trying not to eat or eating because of anxiety. Now i feel pressured and guilty when i eat, sometimes the guilt comes later, sometimes it just appears when i am eating. i already tried to lose weight doing thing as not eating, and when i listen to others people weight and is lower than mine, i just want to cry and starve. Lately, my friend has been talking about how skinny she is and how she eats. She says she dosent feel the urge to eat. I wish i was like that. She is tall and even by that, she is skinnier than me. That makes me feel depressed as hell. I just wish i could lose weight, even that everyone says i am normal. Maybe i dont want to be normal. I just want to be skinny, i just want to lose weight, i just want to be like kpop idols or models. I am not, and that makes me pretty sad.

[@lornadonohoe7806]

You are amazing as you are. Treat your body as your friend not your enemy. It's got to last you 80+ years. Get away from the internet completely. It's influence on young women is toxic. Enjoy your life!

[@rynl2076]

Hmm, I can't really say I understand, but it's definitely a serious source of anxiety and depression. Man I just wish I could convince you of the joys of peanut butter, and it makes me sad that deliciousness is not a source of joy in your life. Thank you for this video, I wish I knew how to help better. Love you

[@ratskelll]

The thing about eds is we know food tastes good, but it's how our brain is coping with stuff, often trauma, in that moment. So you could have told me that you held in your hands the most delicious dish in the universe when I was restricting, and I would have desperately wanted to eat it all, but wouldn't have been able to

[@user-mn5tn1ih1h]

Not gonna lie I keep breaking fasts to eat peanut butter out of a jar

[@ratskelll]

@@user-mn5tn1ih1h then it sounds like fasting isn't something you should be doing, your body clearly isn't able to handle it

[@user-mn5tn1ih1h]

@@ratskelll (TW: s**f h*rm) it definitely isn't but I'm doing it as self harm :( I haven't actually been clean from self harming behaviours since I was a little kid, I have a lot of issues. I started this because it doesn't leave scars... not a great decision in hindsight 😬

[@rynl2076]

@@ratskelll That's painful,... I'm trying to think of what to say but it seems all to come to back to the issue of how the belief that we should be ashamed of our issues just perpetuates them.Yeah they're not good things but.. that isn't a fault. I guess I feel like our hardships are proportionate to how much that they're worth fighting. I don't know about you but it's like I have blurry vision when I look at myself, 'cause this is really hard to see when I look in the mirror. At some point I'll have to accept that I can't see myself objectively. Ahh this is really long, sorry. Love you

[@thewrldisadream1060]

This is so good.

[@_buhbuhbilly]

there are people here that are like "yk its bad when youre watching these again" and yeah im watching these again but i wanna know why i am like i think its to trigger than feeling in me again that will like motivate me to be like this again which ik is bad but like 😭

[@xoxoSwara]

i discovered this side of youtube, and i LOVE IT❤️❤️

[@nayla2453]

This video describes my life...

[@nayla2453]

@ˢᵘˡˡⁱ aww thank you🥺 I wish you all the best

[@NadaAhmed-wj5vw]

Me too

[@shyaaammeneen63]

@@nayla2453 To feel better reduce negative thoughts with a simple practice. Your breath and mind [brain] are closely related causing stress-anxiety. For a good life sit on a chair, back straight, eyes closed and observe the sensations of your incoming--outgoing breath at the entrance of the nostrils for around 5-10-15 minutes or more. Don’t fight your thoughts. Slowly the mind will relax. No deep breathing needed. Do the practice without any expectations. Change happens from within if done sincerely. Day or night, when taking a walk, sitting in a park, when reading, before sleep etc sit or lie down and observe your breath. Like me, make this a lifetime daily habit to have a good life. Avoid constipation as it affects the mind instantly. Best wishes Shyaaam Sir. -Counsellor.

[@anakjunsu]

I don't know I developing ed, I thought I just doing diet but I kept measuring my waist every morning, weight myself whenever i have a chance, count the calorie of every meals I eat, feel guilty for eating normally, I hate myself for this sometimes

[@BagelCat99]

I wished it upon myself, stopped trying to get an ED, and then actually got an ed 💀💀

[@Jess-ek2cf]

When i was younger i had an amazing thin body. But now my stomach has gone out a bit, im taking after my family for a big belly and im scared. I want to lose weight but everyone says i look fine but i dont think i do..

[@evanitii4138]

do what makes you happy as long as you stay safe and healthy and dont let it become obsessive :)

[@evanitii4138]

@XK but fat people arent? all that extra oily blubber thats good to you?

[@evanitii4138]

@XK i never said there was but i know plenty of skinny people skinny doesnt automatically equal death

[@skrittle555]

@XK any extreme has negative health consequences. i don't think we need to compare struggles of who has it worse. it's not a competition to the bottom lol

[@kattcompilations]

That alarm triggered my fight or flight

[@mychemicalimbalance_]

Dont worry about making other people happy. Be you

[@jmundi2002]

My boyfriend once said at a dinner that i were eating too much. That was like a trigger idk but i feel like a pig ever since

[@senanananana]

End of two months in my recovery but still suffering :/

[@shyaaammeneen63]

S, To feel better reduce negative thoughts with a simple practice. Your breath and mind [brain] are closely related causing stress-anxiety. For a good life sit on a chair, back straight, eyes closed and observe the sensations of your incoming--outgoing breath at the entrance of the nostrils for around 5-10-15 minutes or more. Don’t fight your thoughts. Slowly the mind will relax. No deep breathing needed. Do the practice without any expectations. Change happens from within if done sincerely. Day or night, when taking a walk, sitting in a park, when reading, before sleep etc sit or lie down and observe your breath. Like me, make this a lifetime daily habit to have a good life. Avoid constipation as it affects the mind instantly. Best wishes Shyaaam Sir. -Counsellor.

[@senanananana]

@@shyaaammeneen63 thank you so much 😇 im getting better nowadays and getting over the fear foods🤞

[@skrittle555]

hope your recovery is going well. best decision i ever made. i'm over a year in and i feel like a totally different person. like my personality has come back. so sad how much of you EDs take away. i wish you the best of luck. it's SO worth it, i promise.

[@abrie8105]

Hi I’m anorexic and just wanted to tell a quick story that I want to get off my chest. I was 12 and dealing with my ED that was diagnosed a few years prior and my parents were out of town so my brother made dinner I went into the kitchen not planning on eating but getting water and my brother said oh you want some (he had only made enough for himself and my other brother) I said no I’m ok and he said oh ok I went in my room and heard my brothers in the kitchen talking my older brother saying my brother that was cooking should have made more and my other brother said he can’t ever get me to eat anyway so my older brother said you have to force her and he came in my room and forced me to eat. They meant good intentions but pls if you know someone with a ED don’t force feed them it doesn’t help:/

[@KimBean-r6b]

I hate when people say you graze like a cow. Then, when you say you are not hungry they get mad.

[@snehalbhadani2360]

beautiful cinematography

[@mileslindley8632]

thank you!

[@weml19]

Damn why did I just realise that’s me-

[@skykuchel1255]

I don't understand what you guys are going through, but I doubt if I told anyone, you wouldn't understand me either

[@shyaaammeneen63]

Prayers and blessings. My suggestion could help someone. To feel better reduce negative thoughts with a simple practice. Your breath and mind [brain] are closely related causing stress-anxiety. For a good life sit on a chair, back straight, eyes closed and observe the sensations of your incoming--outgoing breath at the entrance of the nostrils for around 5-10-15 minutes or more. Don’t fight your thoughts. Slowly the mind will relax. No deep breathing needed. Do the practice without any expectations. Change happens from within if done sincerely. Day or night, when taking a walk, sitting in a park, when reading, before sleep etc sit or lie down and observe your breath. Like me, make this a lifetime daily habit to have a good life. Avoid constipation as it affects the mind instantly. Best wishes Shyaaam Sir. -Counsellor.

[@amyperrin2880]

The alarm bestieeee , though people think I'm anorexic but I'm really just anemic :( I wanna gain weight but I cant

[@ayanna3895]

It's painful how much I relate to this

[@morganstark564]

I have a friend who's decided that she isn't skinny enough, and she's not eating as much as she should. She stepped on the scale, and it said 104, but all she could see was that 100. It's scaring me.

[@c0rpse.eatrrr]

heres a vent. ✨ HUGE TW!!! the thought of starving myself triggers me and panics me so i shouldnt even be here but- ok. so i used to be truly anorexic,, and being on drugs didnt help anything. + psychosis and i have so much weight on me now. over 200- i want to fucking shave myself of it,, because this weight was gained extremely fast and,, really UNHEALTHINGLY fast. and even then i hate hate hate having weight on me. im in the legal system- meaning im a ward of the state- meaning im owned by it. and they give people whom are,, owned by it, overbearingly huge amounts of food. which i find to be ridiculous in the first place bc people come out weighing so much. buuuut,, i have been in it three years nearly, not even and have gained almost 150 pounds- was 90 originally. i have tried to have them put me on quote on quote "fasting" diets so that i could lose weight asap,, but anything coming even minorly close to that is considered 'starving' yourself and off to the horrid psych ward ya go. i think abt consistently making myself throw up but then theres the fear of ulcers; which i have made myself throw up multiple times dont get me wrong. i just,, wtf?? and if i fucking eat ill eat and eat and it stores all the fucking fat sooooooo. mmm. i shouldnt be planning on how to starve myself. but. shit. damn it. i need help lmao. no i dont scratch that.

[@elliebosten6053]

Im not wanting to eat anymore. I been feeling depressed. Been starving myself. Only eat when friends are around. But just alittle. I noticed how much smaller I gotten. Only by my clothing. But I feel the same. I keep feeling like maby my clothes are just worn out. That there trashed. But then the other part says its not. Then when I look at myself i hear words say fat and ugly.

[@kaylaratte6850]

this was published on my birthday lol

[@teaganr09]

same!!

[@kaylaratte6850]

@@teaganr09 birthday twins!

[@okamichan_1999]

I don't why when my ed gets worst i watch ed short films and interviews of people with ed ToT

[@hippiedaze1970]

Love it!

[@mileslindley8632]

Thank you!!

[@shyaaammeneen63]

@@mileslindley8632 To feel better reduce negative thoughts with a simple practice. Your breath and mind [brain] are closely related causing stress-anxiety. For a good life sit on a chair, back straight, eyes closed and observe the sensations of your incoming--outgoing breath at the entrance of the nostrils for around 5-10-15 minutes or more. Don’t fight your thoughts. Slowly the mind will relax. No deep breathing needed. Do the practice without any expectations. Change happens from within if done sincerely. Day or night, when taking a walk, sitting in a park, when reading, before sleep etc sit or lie down and observe your breath. Like me, make this a lifetime daily habit to have a good life. Avoid constipation as it affects the mind instantly. Best wishes Shyaaam Sir. -Counsellor.

[@jasminebounaji5673]

Little does she know she will also be Criticised when she’s skinny because people judge for how underweight she looks like I’m dealing with it right now

[@angelic_affirmations7]

Everything is so relatable I even have the same alarm 💀

[@rebrandedidiot]

It's short film time boyyysssss

[@rebeccaljarrellbeckywoods8091]

I hope you are doing great and I hope you are doing also better and that you are not ALONE remember I'm here for you and the other people don't feel bad about you and your problems you are you it doesn't matter what others think you are just you remember that don't regret your life and people and think positively about yourself seriously Not even worth taking it out on your own self you can't even help it so don't worry about and think about it and what other people think about you and say I'm here Remember that you are not ALONE!!!!!

[@xoxolilyartfilms]

this film is so well-made!!

[@bethralph8307]

Recovering anorexia and bulimia here.

[@miaa_ac]

The alarm was more triggering then the video 😭

[@sagm2837]

every little thing counts.

[@japanlover-bq6jc]

The title 💀💀 thats what my sister has been calling me for years

[@レイ-y2u]

This so relatable

[@rebeccaljarrellbeckywoods8091]

Also remember that you are you not no one else even though It might seem like you are other but you arent so you are you no one else!!!! 👍👍👍👍👍👌

[@predragdjuranovic8039]

Amazing girl 😍

[@HaydenShelton]

I had breakfast for the first time in a year… Things will be different this time around

[@Ploransu]

I think that I need this control again..but just a little of it, I’m trying to be “Normal” with a good body happy not fat 2020 I became thin as I wanted before I went to school evreyone said that I lost weight and how I did that I felt happy .but I didn’t become happy .. I think I liked the way I controlled myself I liked watching my self losing 1 kg evreytime they weighed me in the hospital .they said I’m thin but I wasn’t really thin I was what I wanted to be if I just didn’t lose more it will be good I will be happy but I lost more and more mom cried she said I’m dead i didn’t became pretty I became ugly hair started growing on my body i can’t remember a lot I lost everything evreyone hated me they said just eat. Idk what I’m saying but I hate myself I’m fat now I’m 61 kg I wanna die I’m just gaining weight more and more why am I like that why food controls my life

[@Ploransu]

Ahaha wtf I became dramatic

[@naynay8anaynay747]

I really don’t understand why ppl bother fat shaming or shaming skinny ppl?? Like u feel the same either way and u don’t need to look a certain way to be considered ‘good’ because that’s what society indirectly tells us. Ofc be healthy and look after yourself, but although it’s hard we gotta try and believe we are all beautiful no matter what. But if you are struggling with being too skinny or overweight don’t ignore it bc u still must look after your health.

[@daylyneowen9811]

I’m 12 years old I don’t wanna self diagnose but I haven’t eaten in 3 days I ate a muffin then threw it up I’m already skinny but just not enough I like the feeling and I check calories way to much idk what to do I just wanna be Normal

[@mileslindley8632]

For Eating Disorder Crisis Situations, call: 800-931-2237

[@ok-qz3kz]

Same i wanna stop but I feel like my ed voice will stick with me forever

[@Jojo_-et8ex]

She is so Pretty this is such a stupid sickness

[@belladona5109]

Its been 7 years When does it get better?

[@Olgabceot]

I really hope it's better now. If not, i promise it will be ❤

[@aporue5893]

ah yes,because those comments are really gonna help her🤦‍♀

[@chautokuda6968]

amazing

[@Lanzaism]

THE ALARM..

[@L0veIyLamb]

I use to be around 70kg and about 5,2. I was always so insecure so I started starving myself. I dropped 18kg in less than 4 months. I was happy with my body but I was so weak from starvation. I attempted recovery but I relapsed. It’s now a year laterand now I’m 45kg. Every single day is a struggle and I wish this upon nobody. 🙏🙏🙏

[@nathanbain9655]

Heartbreaking, I'm so sorry

[@perpetualokoroafor8734]

Was she wanting to be slim.. or depressed about being slim

[@ervabayram8247]

she wants to be skinny

[@mileslindley8632]

People with an eating disorder think that they are overweight (even when they are not), so they want to be “slim”.

[@perpetualokoroafor8734]

@@mileslindley8632 okay thanks

[@kopekcikk]

@XK it's almost like we're mentally ill or something

[@n_y_o_o_m]

I removed the mirror and scales

[@meri-xenia]

lmaooo first thing i thought was "hah im skinnier than her"

[@conniechiwa8886]

Did you know that a doughnut has 3x less calories than a apple and they tast nicer so go get a doughnut

[@blueb3rry3910]

Stop spreading wrong info

[@mutt7035]

wtf bruh

[@rifIedoII]

wtf are you talking about

[@seemeseetrouble7984]

My ex bf used to call me twig soo much I started believing it

[@yoohoodawg4607]

Me over here who thinks im too big-

[@jasmerrysantiago8810]

aww

[@Skibiditoiletgod4728]

White crocs are expensive.jusy putting that put there

[@eligelsheimer6692]

folgers can

[@mileslindley8632]

ur mum

[@venomxgames5414]

now I am realized how I a im looking

[@_.edit._.audios._]

No she didn't- she literally put mascara on with her mouth closed🤠🔫

[@Sidney0]

Meh