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Actress Zosia Mamet is widely known for her spot-on portrayal of the lovable, kooky Shoshanna on HBO’s Girls. Now, she’s hoping to shine her spotlight on a cause that’s close to her heart: raising awareness about the devastating effects of eating disorders.

In Glamour’s September issue, Zosia reveals that she nearly died from her eating disorder, which she describes as “a silent gnawing feeling that’s slowly melting you away, little by little, something deadly that nobody else can see.” She knows she isn’t the only one who has been consumed by an obsession with her body. “I would venture to say it’s a rarity to find a woman without body issues of some sort—not a full-fledged disorder, perhaps, but a skewed view of her body, a dislike of her shape, a desire to be thinner, bustier, taller, different. It’s so common,” says Zosia.

Importantly, she acknowledges that eating disorders usually don’t just disappear, like other sicknesses. “Here’s how I think of my eating disorder: I’m an addict in recovery. We’ve brought other addictions into the light; we’ve talked about them, dissected them, made them acceptable issues to discuss and work out. We need to treat eating disorders just as seriously,” says Zosia. The hard part? “What’s different about eating disorders, of course, is that you can’t just avoid food for the rest of your life. You have to eat to live,” she says.  

MORE: Kesha Leaves Rehab After Seeking Treatment for an Eating Disorder 

Zosia describes her disorder in tangible terms we can all understand, whether we’ve dealt with one or not. “I was told I was fat for the first time when I was eight. I’m not fat; I’ve never been fat. But ever since then, there has been a monster in my brain that tells me I am—that convinces me my clothes don’t fit or that I’ve eaten too much,” she writes. “At times it has forced me to starve myself, to run extra miles, to abuse my body.”

Aside from sharing her own story, Zosia also wanted to call out our society’s emphasis on an unhealthy physical ideal that’s not realistic for most women. “It’s no secret that we live in a country with a warped view of beauty,” she says. “But we need to be brave and expose this body type for what it truly is: a figure naturally possessed by, let’s say, a mere 5 percent of women…We have to change the ideal.”

MORE: Why We’ve Become So Obsessed with Judging Others’ Food Choices—and Our Own 

And how exactly do we do that? First, Zosia suggests, we just need to talk about it. “We all suffer in some small way; we are all a little bit ashamed of that second cupcake. Let’s diminish the stigma. Let’s remind one another that we’re beautiful,” she says. And if you’re dealing with these issues, she reminds you, “the people who love you will listen.” Here’s how you can get help if you or someone you love is grappling with an eating disorder.

Now, Zosia is at a healthy weight and hopes to continue her self-acceptance journey. Kudos to her for stepping forward and reminding women that, no matter how we look, we’re all worthy of self-love.

MORE: The Scary Rise in Adult Eating Disorders