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Michelle Pugle is a freelance journalist and

mental health artist-activist.

 

She is also the founder and CEO of MAD MAID, a feminist mental health podcast on a mission to bring light to dark topics. Mad Maid talks about taboo topics such episodic suicidal thinking, eating disorder relapse, the intersection between sexual assault and mental health, and medical gaslighting in Canada.

 

Michelle is trained and certified in Mental Health First Aid by the Mental Health Commission of Canada and in Suicide Prevention, Holistic Herbal Healing, and Reiki Energy Healing. 

 

Formal education includes a Masters degree in Feminist Research from Western University and a double Bachelor of Arts in English and Sociology from Thompson Rivers University.

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She was first published in her preteens by the Poetry Institute of Canada—and has been creating content around mental health ever since. 

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At 17, during initial recovery from anorexia nervosa, orthorexia and exercise-purging subtypes, Michelle finished writing her debut memoir.

 

She gave herself the goal of documenting her recovery the best she could at that age, hoping to leave some breadcrumbs behind for the next person seeking support during an incredibly dangerous time.

 

FYI: Eating disorders in Canada have the second highest mortality rate only to the opioid crisis, according to the Canadian Association for Mental Health.

 

She published Ana, Mia & Me for three reasons: 

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• to raise awareness about what it's actually like living with an eating disorder (it's not about vanity)
   

• to show someone they can begin the recovery journey at any stage in their eating disorder (you do not need to become more sick before you are worthy of eating disorder treatment)
   

• to add to the conversation on what to expect from recovery (and explore the ways in which it can be incredibly difficult to say goodbye to "Ana" and "Mia"

 

she's here to flip the script on self- and social- stigma.