Being in California or anywhere else in the world while struggling with an eating disorder really, really sucks. It is especially difficult when you’ve experienced childhood trauma. No matter what your trauma was, or how long it lasted, its effects often carry into adulthood and can manifest through eating disorder behaviors. In this blog post, I’ll not only explore what childhood trauma means, I’ll also identify signs that you’re experiencing a trauma response, and how your eating disorder may have served as a protective (yes, I said protective) mechanism for you over the years.