Netflix is keeping media raw and real.

I had been anticipating the release of the Netflix original movie, "To The Bone," since details first emerged.

"To The Bone" is the story of a sarcastic, guarded, 20-year-old artist named Ellen (played by Lily Collins); she suffers from anorexia.

Obviously, Netflix has had some negative attention recently due to the fact that the streaming site has been releasing controversial portrayals of heavy issues that impact large numbers of people.

Before "To The Bone," Netflix received mixed reviews for their visual representation of a young girl's suicide and the community her death impacted in "13 Reasons Why." The show was based on Jay Asher's novel of the same name.

Many thought "13 Reasons," as it is commonly referenced, romanticized suicide and felt that the actual scene of the main character's life-ending act was excessively graphic.

Similarly, "To The Bone" has also received mixed reviews. The controversy is over the topic of eating disorders potentially causing a trigger for those battling this serious illness or the impact it might have on those who are at risk for developing eating disorders in the future.

The only way I can describe my own reaction after watching the "dramedy" is with a sigh of relief.

In the past, I have been oddly intrigued by eating disorders on a psychological level. I have educated myself endlessly on the many forms of eating disorders, the affected demographics, the health issues that result from eating disorders and the pathology related to the habitual and obsessive nature of each disease.

I also know the mental mind game of eating disorders on a more personal level, but that is not the topic of discussion for this piece.

However, my focus is also not to regurgitate the list of facts I have learned from the DSM ("Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders") and other informative reading.

I have seen my fair share of movies and television series that show the life altering, heartbreaking and dangerous sides of various mental illnesses. Many portrayals are Lifetime-movie terrible (in that they are beyond dramatic and absolute garbage interpretations), and I have seen some decent representations that inform without being corny and eye roll inducing.

"To The Bone" showed what needed to be seen.

We are introduced to a young woman who is dangerously thin and has no desire to recover. Collins' character appears set on continuing her unhealthy habits and has allowed this deadly disease to take over her life.

In and out of multiple inpatient rehabilitation facilities, Ellen is defiant and stubborn to the point that she repeatedly gets kicked out of each program she attends; all resulting in unsuccessful results for recovery.

Ellen also has a dark sense of humor, making light of her illness by showing off calorie count knowledge to her sister during dinner. Both Ellen and her sister seem to be able to accept Ellen's anorexia, and they don't put pressure on each other to talk about feelings and reasons in reference to the disorder.

I really enjoyed the candid relationship between Ellen and her sister because they have a no-bullshit attitude when faced with such a difficult struggle. Sometimes, you just need someone in your life to show you that they care, whether it is with occasional humor or seriousness when the hard truth is needed. That's the balance that's needed in a healthy relationship, and it is a necessity to remain honest and open with people in order to recover.

When watching "To The Bone," viewers also get a glimpse into the issues that Ellen has had to deal with that obviously contribute to her anorexia.

She has a very obsessive need to be in control, which is a huge piece of the ED puzzle. It appears Ellen's life had been somewhat out of her control when the viewer learns about her past relationship with her unbalanced mother, absentee father and the blatant naiveté of her stepmother, who views Ellen's illness as a purposeful act of trying to be skinny and beautiful.

Add in the fact that Ellen blames herself, as do many others, for the tragic death of an anonymous, online fan of Ellen's artwork and personal Tumblr blog.

Too often we hear about the purpose of eating disorders being used as a "diet" or solely a weight loss issue. In fact, weight loss/gain is a symptom of disordered eating, not the main issue. Telling someone with an ED to "just eat" is offensive and only downplays the seriousness of the illness.

Cue in Dr. Beckham, played by Keanu Reeves, and, finally, we see a medical approach to recovery that may actually be effective.

Reeves' character is refreshing and his therapeutic style is needed in the real-life setting of treatment for any kind of addiction/mental illness.

Basically, mental health professionals need to stop treating patients as fragile. Stop sugarcoating the truth, and instead treat those struggling with ED like competent human beings.

Treat patients with candor and respect.

Dr. William Beckham takes an unapologetic, slightly unconventional approach to therapy. He has his patients tell their inner ED voice to "fuck off" and refers to Ellen's family session with her mother, two step-mothers and sister, as a "shit show."

While personally working within the mental health field I was advised and cautioned not to self-disclose to patients, which I agreed with, but only to an extent. I was also told not to swear around clients and to help the patients by following specific guidelines.

Those "guidelines" were appropriate in most circumstances, I will admit I went off-script more than my administration would like to know, though. Working with adults who have experienced more than many of us could imagine, treating them like incapable, broken children never worked for me.

I cannot express how embarrassed I would be to sit and read over a Medicaid-approved worksheet with an intelligent adult client that used wording that would only be acceptable for a very young child.

I honestly believe therapy for many mental illnesses and addictions needs a kind of raw truthfulness because it shows the patients that you are a person who they can trust and connect with. That does not necessarily mean that all therapists need to swear, it just means that speaking in a matter-of-fact manner is much more successful than sounding dry, dull and disconnected.

Showing Diversity and sharing the struggle

I found that this Netflix original really was able to show the diversity of ED's with the addition of a woman of color, Binge Eating Disorder and a male in recovery. Not only were the demographics helpful to express the variations of eating disorders and those affected, but the viewer also sees the terrifying health issues that can result from ongoing unhealthy eating practices.

Finally, I also would like to point out that "To The Bone" did not romanticize or glamorize ED's, which was an issue many people had when finding out Netflix would release the film. Many of the issues we see in this movie are based on actual facts.

I also want to point out that before the movie began a disclaimer was shown on the screen that read: "The film was created by and with individuals who have struggled with eating disorders, and it includes realistic depictions that may be challenging for some viewers."

Collins has struggled in the past with anorexia and bulimia, and felt that this film was important to show just how painful living with an eating disorder can be, but just how rewarding and possible it is to recover in the future.

In addition, the director/writer for the movie, Marti Noxon, also admitted to having her own struggles with anorexia in the past.

To me, this shows that the making of "To The Bone" was just as authentic as watching the final product felt. These are not just actors/actresses playing a part — these are people who have actually experienced the crippling torture of eating disorders.

We are angry with the wrong people

Too many times I have watched the entertainment industry butcher mental illness, especially eating disorders, and every day our heads and grocery lines are filled with body-shaming via trashy entertainment publications.

Picking apart the weight gain/loss of countless celebrities and using a person's bodily imperfections as a headline just to sell copies is what we need to stand against, not an honest portrayal of a complex mental illness.

A Change.org petition was even started, asking people to sign against the release of Netflix's "To The Bone," yet how many petitions have we heard calling out various magazines for body bashing celebrities?

Why are we not starting petitions to end those dangerous subjects?

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Note: This is my personal reaction to this movie, and I highly recommend that you watch it before making judgments, if you are in a comfortable state of mind to do so.

However, I do not recommend watching this movie if you are triggered by any of the subject matter. I would rather that anyone struggling with an eating disorder seeks help because you are worth so much more than that inner voice feeding you painful lies.