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When you are not the one in control of an outcome, it can be hard to not revert back to old coping behaviours. These past few months have been particularly testing for me, but I have shown myself to be more resilient than even I thought.
After I left my residential treatment facility, I didn’t just need to reset my relationship with food, but I also had to learn how to exist as a sexual being in the world. It hasn’t been easy, but it has been a wonderful journey of self-discovery.
Recovery from an eating disorder is about leaving what’s safe and comfortable. It is about leaving your child-self where it belongs, and becoming an adult. It’s scary, but so worth it.
Everyone has a story. Actually we all have several stories playing out on any given day, most of which we have little control over. My eating disorder made for a dull and sad tale; I was often stuck on pages, unable to move forward. Life in recovery, I am glad to say is very different, as I explain here in my piece for ‘Storytellhers.’
Mental and physical health are still far from being treated equally in the working environment. Where are the CEOs and leaders sharing their experiences? They can’t be immune to experiencing mental ill health. We need them to stand up and inspire others. Employees need to feel confident that by disclosing their mental ill health, their career progression will not be compromised.
Listen to me chat to the host of ‘Real Health Radio’ and founder of ‘Seven-Health,’ Chris Sandel. Chris is a highly respected nutritionist with clients all around the world. He helps clients improve their physical and mental health through the power of food.
The You, Me, Empathy Podcast is a safe space to engage empathetically with others, share mental health struggles and find healing, growth and familiarity within stories.
Mental ill health in the workplace exists, yet many of us are still too afraid to talk about it. I was terrified that I if I admitted I wasn’t coping, I would lose my job and my colleagues would think differently of me. I passionately believe it is time all organisations realised that employees need to feel as free to talk about their mental health, as they do their physical health.
My eating disorder thrived in isolation. I was full of shame, and thought if people knew they would judge me think I was ‘crazy,’ but the reality was the complete opposite. The more people who talk about their mental health issue, the more we can normalise it.
How do you stay well in your recovery whilst navigating the world of social media? I spoke to Fabulous magazine about the difficulties I faced when I came back from treatment.
Netflix’s ‘To the Bone’ was released with the expectation that finally a mainstream film would shed light on the true pain of living with anorexia. I was disappointed that the opportunity to explore the internal happiness that drives someone to such extremes was missed.
I was invited to speak at ‘A Crazy Revolution’ – an evening of mental health and wellness storytelling. I chose to share the importance of making ‘connections and relationships’ in healing from an eating disorder or mental health issue.