What HGTV Star Galey Alix Has Shared About Her Mental Health Journey
This article includes discussion of eating disorders.
HGTV host Galey Alix is a Wall Street executive during the week, but on the weekends, she transforms clients' homes for the renovation series "Home in a Heartbeat." Her three-day makeovers require strategic planning, but the interior designer makes it work thanks to her do-it-yourself skills and the help of her team. She's even utilized her homemade techniques for romance like the time Alix found her "Bachelor" boyfriend by using some DIY initiative.
Though her dual careers and romantic relationship take up a lot of her time, Alix has talked about the importance of caring for her mental health. "Even though I'm an extreme do-it-yourself-er, the one thing you don't want to DIY is your mental health," she told People in June 2023. The HGTV star has opened up about the issues she's faced, revealing that she has experienced both an eating disorder and anxiety.
While mental health is a lifelong journey, Alix hasn't shied away from passing on what she's learned to her fans and followers. "It's important to ask for help," she said. "The only reason I got better is I basically asked for help for the first time."
Galey Alix has spoken about her eating disorder
Galey Alix is one of the HGTV stars that were famous before they joined the network, but her early renovation days also saw some intense mental health issues. She experienced a combination of anorexia and bulimia, explaining on an episode of "Talking Out Loud with Danae" that years of insecurity, negative-self talk, and a desire for perfection eventually led to deterioration of her mental health. Things only escalated in 2018 when she began planning her life with her then-fiancée.
While Alix was working in Florida for her day job, she began commuting to Connecticut on the weekends to DIY their newly-purchased home, a project she chronicled online. "I was trying to be the perfect fiancée, the perfect homemaker, the perfect designer, and it was too much," she said in a July 2023 Today interview. "It kind of culminated in a really, really, really severe eating disorder." The finance executive struggled in secret for a long time, but when she finally opened up to her partner, he broke off the engagement and claimed he felt betrayed by the revelation.
Though she was heartbroken, Alix sought treatment for her eating disorder including therapy and working with a specialized nutritionist. With the tools that treatment was giving her, she began putting her energy into home renovations, an endeavor that eventually led to her HGTV show. "I feel like by perfecting people's homes it allowed me to stop focusing on perfecting myself and my body and how I looked," she told Today.
Galey Alix opened up about her anxiety on social media
In addition to being candid about her eating disorder, Galey Alix has also spoken on social media about dealing with extreme anxiety. In May 2024, the interior designer shared an Instagram Story to explain how a particularly bad anxiety episode required a trip to the ER. "I had a number of really difficult/stressful phone calls (4 actually) on Friday," she said (via Heavy). "I woke up the next day covered in hives. My body physically INTERNALIZED the anxiety I was having from these calls."
While she attempted to treat the rash at home using a steroid cream and Benadryl, the inflammation continued for two days until it was "covering most of the lower half of my body." Recognizing that it could potentially worsen and spread to her throat, Alix made the decision to seek medical treatment. She was given a steroid shot and prescribed a week's worth of pills to curb the rash, but the doctor also instructed her to get some serious rest and relaxation.
The interior designer explained that she often struggles with anxiety, which she believes stems from her tendency to absorb the emotions of those around her. "I battle this issue constantly," Alix said. "Do I set up boundaries and not allow myself to get so close to things because they can [emotionally] wreck me? Or do I lean into the fact that 'feeling things deeply' is a super power." Mental health is a life-long journey, but we admire Alix's moments of candidness along the way.
If you need help with an eating disorder, or know someone who does, help is available. Visit the National Eating Disorders Association website or contact NEDA's Live Helpline at 1-800-931-2237. You can also receive 24/7 Crisis Support via text (send NEDA to 741-741). If you or someone you know needs help with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.