What Is Jiggsy?

This is the first piece in my guest blog series. The author who wishes to remain anonymous, will be sharing his feelings as the father of a daughter with an eating disorder. Their honesty makes for uncomfortable reading, but it’s honesty that’s needed, if we are to understand the true impact that an eating disorder has on those around it.

Coping with an eating disorder at university can be a really lonely place. Here, I chat to Marteka Swaby about how to find support if you, or a friend you know is struggling.

When you have lived with a mental health issue, it’s easy to find the biggest gifts in the most unexpected places. Who knew a Christmas tree could mean so much to me…

Do you need an army of cheerleaders or can you be your own cheerleader? Recovery has taught me the importance of being your number own number 1 fan.

When was the last time you felt listened to…I mean really listened to? Being seen and heard has been a huge part of my recovery, but is actually a basic human need. We all need and deserve to feel valued. It helps us to our find meaning and purpose in this world.

Having read some negative comments about this film, I felt so passionate about writing this. I’ll leave it up to you to decide if you agree.

It’s taken some Spanish sun for me to realise how overdue this break has been. It’s not OK for me to ‘keep on going’ indefinitely without burning out, or jeopardising the connection to my authentic self that I fought so hard to find.

Learning about my ‘financial anorexia,’ was not something I had anticipated when I entered treatment. But, discovering how my relationship with money was acutely aligned with my relationship with food, was a valuable teaching.

I’ve always struggled with finding the balance between being sociable and being alone. I have finally accepted who I am, and found a happy medium.