Brittany Snow makes heartbreaking eating disorder admission as she marks 17 years of recovery

Warning: This article contains discussion of eating disorders, depression and self-harm which some readers may find distressing.

Brittany Snow has bravely opened up about her eating disorder after marking 17 years of recovery in a new Instagram post

Before giving her 3.4 million followers an 'ED' trigger warning, the 40-year-old Hunting Wives actress began the statement by writing: "Today, September 17th, marks 17 years of recovery for me. I’ve heard they call that a golden anniversary. And somehow, that feels fitting.

"My movie, Parachute, is about this very day, the day I made the decision to stop hurting myself. The day I chose to bet on myself, even when I couldn’t yet imagine what a life on the other side might look like."

The Pitch Perfect star, who previously opened up to Self last year about undergoing treatment for anorexia, exercise bulimia, depression and self-harm, continued: "Seventeen years ago, I didn’t know if I would make it. I couldn’t see a future, and I certainly couldn’t imagine one where I would learn to be kind to myself.

"If someone had told me then that I would not only live, but one day have a beautiful, full life, free from the cycle of self-destruction and my eating disorder… I truly don’t think I would have believed them."

Snow then took a moment to thank her support system who stuck by her side during her recovery process.

"My friends saw me, heard me, helped me. My family loved me through it. And somewhere underneath the noise, there was a tiny voice inside me that kept saying: don’t give up. There is so much more to your story," she urged.

"There was so much beauty ahead that I couldn’t see yet. So much love. And one of the greatest gifts of making it through is being able to turn around and share the hope I couldn’t see possible."

She then offered a touching message to anyone reading who may be 'struggling right now'.

"Please know you are not alone," Snow wrote. "So many people have stood where you are standing. There is life beyond the place you are in today, even if you can’t picture it yet.

"One day, the story you fought so hard to keep living may become the very story someone else needs to hear."

She rounded off the Instagram caption, concluding: "I’m 17 years on the other side today. I’m so grateful I stayed."

Snow also pointed fans to a few organisations which assist with some of the issues she discussed, including Bring Change to Mind (BC2M), National Alliance for Eating Disorders, September Letters, Make Sure Your Friends Are Okay and The Mental Health Coalition.

If you've been affected by any of the issues in this article and would like to speak with someone in confidence, call the BEAT Eating Disorders helpline on 0808 801 0677. Helplines are open 3pm-8pm Monday to Friday. Alternatively, you can try the one-to-one webchat.

If you're experiencing distressing thoughts and feelings, the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) is there to support you. They're open from 5pm–midnight, 365 days a year. Their national number is 0800 58 58 58 and they also have a webchat service if you're not comfortable talking on the phone.