Former Model Nikki DuBose Talks Body Dysmorphic Disorder With TD Jakes on the Oprah Winfrey Network

Los Angeles, CA, October 19, 2016 (Newswire.com) - Nikki DuBose, former model turned author and activist, just released her memoir, Washed Away: From Darkness to Light, detailing her recovery from a more than seventeen year battle with mental health issues such as psychosis, depression, PTSD from abuse, and the dark side of the modeling industry. In the book trailer, directed by Ole Schell (Picture Me), Nikki talks about being raped by a photographer during a lunch, set up by the director of her agency. She recently appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Network alongside Supermodel Emme on the TD Jakes Show to speak about her recovery from Body Dysmorphic Disorder and eating disorders, and how the pressure to “fit into” the modeling industry nearly killed her.

Watch the raw interview with TD Jakes, which will air again on October 20^th on OWN. Nikki described how she perceived herself when she battled BDD as a model: 

"I looked in the mirror and saw a monster...a creature. I was locking myself in my house. I was binging and purging ten times a day, before and after castings. I was self-harming…because I hated the person that I saw…I just wanted to die."

Nikki DuBose, TD Jakes Show

“I looked in the mirror and saw a monster...a creature. I was locking myself in my house. I was binging and purging ten times a day, before and after castings. I was self-harming…because I hated the person that I saw…I just wanted to die.”

Nikki began modeling at 16 in her hometown, where she was fat shamed, she explained to Bishop Jakes. She had already been dealing with bulimia for eight years, and by the time she began modeling professionally, her eating disorder was out-of-control. By twenty-six, her weight had plummeted to 90 pounds.

As Washed Away: From Darkness to Light uncovers, she overcame her warped perception with God’s love, hard work, and help from professionals. Nikki offered a message of hope and recovery to viewers, saying, “My worth...is knowing that I’m God’s child, and...that saved my life. That has helped to build the self-esteem...I had no self-esteem.”  ​​

Nikki DuBose will be signing books and speaking with animal advocate and author Shannon Kopp (Pound for Pound) October 27^th, 2016, from 6-8pm at Montecatini Treatment Center, 6183 Paseo Del Norte, Suite 110 - Carlsbad, CA 92011. RSVP with Eventbrite.

Amalia Crawford represents Nikki DuBose. She can be reached at [email protected]​ or 310.293.6023​.

Source: Nikki DuBose