New York Mayoral Candidate Christine Quinn Talks About Struggles With Bulimia, Addiction

In the heat of the race for mayor, New York City got a dose of truth serum from candidate Christine Quinn – and some are saying that her honesty might just win her the election.

Quinn disclosed in the New York Times yesterday that, as a teenager and young adult, she struggled with bulimia and alcohol addiction.

“I’m embarrassed about it now still,” Quinn said in the article. “I wish I could say I wasn’t.”

Dealing with death

Quinn explains how her issues started around the time her mother was dying of breast cancer. Caring for her mom’s basic needs, like bathing and feeding her, took a toll on young Quinn, sending her into a tailspin of grief and “chaos” that she remedied with bouts of binge eating and purging. The cycle lasted for 10 years, until she entered a rehab center in Florida at age 26.

Quinn contacted the New York Times with the intention of telling her story and hopefully appealing to women who might be suffering with similar issues.

“I just want people to know you can get through stuff,” she said. “I hope people can see that in what my life has been and where it is going.”

The road to recovery

Quinn – a lesbian – got married last May, and it was an event that inspired her to share more of her personal story with the public.

Quinn reports that her drinking habits also reached a breaking point as she moved into adulthood. She considers herself an alcoholic, and she gave up alcohol entirely three years ago.

“Asking for help, going to the rehab, dealing with bulimia, cutting back on drinking, getting drinking out of my life altogether – all of that helped me put the pieces back together,” she said.

In terms of how her confessions may effect the mayoral race? Quinn isn’t concerned.

“It feels like an oddly nonpolitical thing.”

Source: The New York Times

Image via Boss Tweed