Did Josh Ramsay have an eating disorder?

In this blog post, we shall answer the question “did Josh Ramsay have an eating disorder?” and look at who Josh Ramsay is, his life struggles with depression, addiction and eating disorders and how he overcame them. We shall also discuss the eating disorders Ramsey had and look at the relationship between depression and eating disorders.

Did Josh Ramsay have an eating disorder?

Yes, Josh Ramsay had an eating disorder. He opened up about his struggles with mental health issues and has used them to encourage those struggling with mental disorders not to feel alone. He has also sung about his eating disorders in two of his songs where he described the symptoms he was having, his denial and the stigma he faced.

He says that he developed depression during his teenage years and that triggered his eating disorders. He was first diagnosed with anorexia nervosa and then developed bulimia nervosa later. After that, he got hooked on heroin and had a very difficult time quitting it. Before we look into detail about his eating disorders, let us look at who Josh Ramsay is.

Who is Josh Ramsay?

Joshua Keeler Ramsey is a Canadian singer, producer, recording engineer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and actor. He is the lead singer in the pop-rock band, Marianas Trench. He has dual citizenship in Canada and the United States.

He formed the band in 2001 and released their first self-titled EP, which contained songs that would appear on their video single, say anything EP, EP Marianas trench, and their debut album, fix me. He plays 13 instruments and often plays all the instruments on the songs he produces for other artists.

On March 20, 2020, he married Amanda McEwan and on June 19, 2020, his father died. On December 15, 2020, his mother died from Sars-CoV-19.

Josh Ramsay and his struggles with mental disorders

In an interview, he opened up about developing depression, which started at a very young age and triggered the development of anorexia, bulimia and heroin addiction. He says it was difficult for his loved ones to notice as he could hide it well until it became full-blown.

Josh said that his problems did not arise from family problems and his family was very supportive and the problem could probably be his brain makeup. When asked about depression, which happened first, he said, “‘Cause it has to do with chemical imbalances in the brain, so it’s not like you can gain depression…” You either have it or you don’t, it just depends when it’s going to start affecting you. So that was first, and shortly after I started to be affected by it… feeling it anyway, I started self-harming.”

Josh then  started cutting himself as a way of dealing with the emotional pain he felt as it was easier to deal with physical pain than emotional pain. He then started having body issues by feeling like he was too fat. 

He had episodes where he could not eat enough, lose weight and then eat regularly and gain weight. His parents noticed when he stopped eating that he was losing a lot of weight. They started making Josh eat meals, and he still was not happy, as the anorexic frame of mind had taken control.

He then discovered that he could purge after eating to lie to his parents that he had eaten. After meals, he would go hide and throw up. Josh realized that refusing food when offered raised a lot of questions and so purging after binging was his best solution. His parents noticed and sent him to an outpatient program for bulimia where he could go for check-ups regularly, and have meal plans while still staying at home.

Abot recovering from bulimia, Josh says, “it was scary more than anything. Um, I guess it kind of becomes a part of you. Once I was done with it, I was happy that I didn’t have to run to the bathroom after meals anymore, but like, I still had those urges for a long time, and the feelings of things being too much and the guilt and stuff. It took a long time to go away for the most part.”

He then started using heroin as a way of dealing with his problems. He used to smoke it using injection would be noticeable. It went on for two years until his parents found out. They had to give him an ultimatum of being clean, going to rehab, or leaving their house. He went to rehab and was able to recover.

Josh attributes his recovery to having a supportive family and friends. For those in recovery, he gives them a word of encouragement. “Even if you don’t think you need help, tell someone who cares. Cause like, if you get too far in, you won’t be able to get out alone, or sometimes at all. And even if you think your problem isn’t serious enough… no matter how small your problem seems, it’s still a problem, and there are still things that can be done to get you help… I know a lot of people might feel like they don’t have anyone who would ‌help them or care about their problems, but there are tons of hotlines and anonymous support groups and stuff you can go to… I and the rest of the band are really supportive, and like, if you are having a hard time dealing with something, you can reach us on Twitter, or Tumblr… the band has a Tumblr blog where you can leave messages and stuff, and on our Facebook page or Myspace, but I don’t know if Ian still uses that so much anymore. There’re tons of ways you can reach us if you’re stuck and need advice or something. Cause like, I don’t want anyone to ‌go through what I did, but I know it happens and it is important to get out while you can.”

What are eating disorders? 

Eating disorders are mental illnesses characterized by abnormal eating habits, and complex and damaging relationships between food, exercise and body image that impairs physical and mental health.

Josh was suffering from two of the main eating disorders namely;

• Anorexia nervosa
• Bulimia nervosa

Anorexia nervosa

Is a severe eating disorder characterized by abnormal body weight, distorted body image, and unwarranted fear of gaining weight. In order to prevent weight gain, anorexic people try to control their body weight by vomiting food, using laxatives, diet aids, and excessive exercise. Josh’s anorexia started as a coping mechanism for depression.

He used to cut himself and them deny himself food as he felt that physical pain was easier to deal with than emotional pain. Common symptoms include extreme low body weight, dizziness, insomnia, fatigue, dry skin, hair that easily falls off, preoccupation with food, skipping meals, refusing to eat, denying hunger, complaints of being overweight, measuring weight often and lying about the quantity of food taken.

Bulimia nervosa

Is a mental disorder characterized by binge eating (consuming large quantities of food over a short period of time) followed by calorie reducing strategies such as purging (induced vomiting), fasting and excessive exercise. Josh’s started having bulimia after he realized that refusing to eat made his parents aware and they would force him to eat. He would, therefore, have his meals normally and later on purge by inducing vomiting.

Bulimia is a severe, life-threatening eating disorder. Symptoms include; binge eating, vomiting, self-harm, fatigue, dehydration, avoiding food, irregular and absence of menstruation, constipation, heartburn and guilt.

Causes include genetic factors, psychological factors such as personality, dieting and societal pressure.

Lyrics about eating disorders by  Josh Ramsay (Marianas Trench)

Skin & Bones 

I lock the door

Turn all the water on

And bury that sound

So no one hears anything anymore

Mirror, lie to me, tell me you can see

Maybe you won’t be able to recognize me now

I know you can feel all the things you steal

And you’re taking and you’re taking it

Feeling so easy, make me skin and bones

I’m always on my knees for you

Break it like it’s even

When you’re leaving and thin

Where the hell have you been?

Well, sometimes it burns

Maybe I’ll wash it out

It all looks so big

Never mind, I don’t feel anything

It only hurt a bit and I still feel like shit

And I think you won’t be able to recognize me now

It’s easier to quit, it’s harder to admit

And you’re pushing me, you’re fucking pushing me

Feeling small

This one’s of me throwing up for you

And I’m paler still, but that’s the way you wanted it

This one’s of you

Certain of cancer

And all my faces

They all were wasted

I’m feeling small

You’re barely breathing, I know

And now it’s starting to show

And I know it won’t ever change, but it hurst the same

A fever broke somewhere behind July

Remember how I weighed 135

and we collide…

And all my faces

They all were wasted

I’m feeling small

You’re barely breathing, I know

And now it’s starting to show

And I know it won’t ever change, but it hurts the same

This one’s of me losing my weight

I’m feeling afraid

Both songs can be an interpretation of what Josh went through when he was purging. The lyrics talk about symptoms of eating disorders like cutting weight, throwing up and body image issues.

Conclusion

We have looked at who Josh Ramsay is, his truffles with depression, anorexia, bulimia, and heroin addiction. We have looked ‌at the eating disorders ‌he was suffering from. Finally, we have looked at the lyrics of the song he sang about his struggles with eating disorders.

If you have any questions or comments, please let us know in the comment section below.

Frequently asked questions: Did Josh Ramsay have an eating disorder?

What are five signs that someone may have an eating disorder?

some common warning signs to watch out for include:

● Alterations in Weight

● Preoccupation With Body Image

● Disruptions in Eating Patterns

● Preoccupation With Nutritional Content

● Changes in Exercise Patterns

● Mood Fluctuations

What are 3 warning signs of bulimia?

● Episodes of binge eating.

● Self-induced vomiting.

● Smelling like vomit.

What are the three forms of treatment for anorexia?

Treatment for anorexia nervosa includes;

● Cognitive behavioural therapy

● Dialectical behavioural therapy

● Acceptance and commitment to therapy

Citations

American Psychiatric Association, (2013). Eating disorders in Diagnostic and statistical manual for mental disorders (5th edition). American Psychiatric Association.

Single care team. (February, 15, 2022). Eating disorder statistics 2022. The check up by single care. Retrieved from https://www.singlecare.com/blog/news/eating-disorder-statistics/

Weir. K. (April, 2016). New insight on eating disorders. American Psychological

Association (vol 47 no.4 page 36). Retrieved from

https://www.apa.org/monitor/2016/04/eating-disorders