Evan Urquhart

So, I consciously trained myself to think like an anorexic. I'd berate myself for eating anything and refuse to feel proud when I lost a few pounds, instead reminding myself how fat I still was. I learned everything I could about how anorexics thought... 2/

...and how they acted. In my mind this was all justified- I was, medically, obese. I was only using these mind games for a purpose- losing weight. Once I reached my goal I'd be thin and my life would be better and I would maintain my weight and live a normal, happy life. 3/

Instead, inevitably, I developed an eating disorder and struggled with it for the next 10 years, damaging my health and severely delaying my career. 4/

I was not protected from the consequences because I'd gone forward purposefully, rather than accidentally developing these thoughts like a normal person might. Republicans who defend Trump are a lot like a teen who develops an eating disorder on purpose. 5/

At some point in the past, they knew they were playing mind games, just trying to win. Ignoring facts, pushing conspiracies, muddying the truth. But as they trained themselves to prefer propaganda to truth, they became lost. 6/

Now, perhaps, they honestly can't tell the difference between fact and lie. They've damaged their own moral compasses and their own reasoning ability- perhaps permanently so. 7/