Sophie Turner says she had a ‘live-in-therapist’ during her eating disorder battle

Sophie Turner has spoken candidly about her eating disorder and revealed how she has relied on a “live-in therapist” to help manage her eating habits.

The 26-year-old discussed her health during a cover story interview with Elle UK,  recalling how, “for a long time,” she was “quite sick” with her disorder and needed a “live-in-therapist”.

“I don’t know if you know what a companion is?” she asked. “It’s a live-in therapist, who would ensure I wasn’t doing anything unhealthy with my eating habits.”

The Game of Thrones star then shared an experience where a comment on Instagram negatively affected her body image, which she revealed caused her to “spin out”.

“One night, I was playing over and over in my mind a comment I’d seen on Instagram. I was like: “I’m so fat, I’m so undesirable,” and spinning out,’” she recalled.

Turner said that her live-in-therapist stepped in to offer her advice and told her: “You know, no one actually cares. I know you think this, but nobody else is thinking it. You’re not that important.”

Ultimately, the British actor noted that her companion’s guidance in the situation was “the best thing anyone could have told [her]”.

Although she valued her therapist’s thoughts on social media, Turner acknowledged that she’s deleted the Instagram app from her phone, which she said has been “so helpful” and has allowed her to have “much more fun”.

“I have noticed that social media makes me incredibly anxious and it’s something I try to distance myself from,” she said. “Having it off my phone has been so helpful. Now, if I do have to go on it, it’s for a few minutes once or twice a week, rather than hours every day. It’s made such a difference. Live real life – it’s much more fun.”

In regards to her mental health, Turned said she’s continued going to therapy and has learned how to get into a “good headspace” when struggling with her anxiety or depression.

​​”I still have to do it every week,” she said regarding therapy. “Occasionally, I go on a retreat to check myself, and I still have days when I feel depressed or anxious. It’s manageable now – I have the tools. I know what’s good for me and what’s not good for me.”

“I know what I have to do to get myself in a good headspace,” she added. “It’s not debilitating – I know how to get myself out of it.”

Turner has previously discussed her eating disorder and how it has impacted her mental health. During an interview withThe Sunday Times in 2019, she revealed that she was in therapy at the age of 19 because she had thoughts of suicide and body image issues.

Turner recalled how she had become “too aware” of her looks, which ultimately changed her eating habits and physical health.

“Suddenly, everyone’s metabolism slows down at 17, 18 and then that’s documented,” she said. “My skin and everything. People commenting on it. I was too aware of my body at a young age. And it just kind of took over my mind, it was all I would think about. Calorie counting, everything. Oh, I’ll just eat nuts today.”

“I stopped having my period for a year - that’s when I decided to have therapy,” she added.

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She also noted that when she first met her now-husband, Joe Jonas, she was 20 and “very mentally unwell”. However, according to Turner, Jonas helped her at the time, as she praised him for finding a way to “save [her] life”.

“He was like: ‘I can’t be with you until you love yourself, I can’t see you love me more than you love yourself,’” she recalled. “That was something, him doing that. I think he kind of saved my life, in a way.”

Turner and Jonas, 32, got married in 2019 and welcomed their daughter, Willa, together in 2020. The Dark Phoenix star is currently pregnant with her and the singer’s second child.