Biting Anorexia: A First-Hand Account of an Internal War - Softcover

Lucy Howard-Taylor

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1876451920 ISBN 13: 9781876451929

Publisher: Finch Publishing, 2008

Synopsis

'My name is Lucy. I am in recovery from anorexia nervosa and major depression, each of which almost killed me.' So begins this extraordinary depiction by an 18-year-old woman of her descent into the tortured existence of anorexia and her arduous andremarkable recovery from it. BITING ANOREXIA is unique in that much of it was written while the author was in the grips of the condition. This searingly honest account details Lucy's struggle to literally claw herself back from the point of no return and then to overcome an almost harder battle ... that of recovery. Anorexia nervosa is the most fatal of all psychiatric illnesses - and recovery the bigest hurdle. Lucy says: To challenge an eating disorder, or any mental illness, is to wage a prolonged, painful and devastating war it is the most confusing and emotionally draining part of the illness. Lucy's penetrating insights, beautifully written and tinged with a wicked sense of black humour, have the power to capture, reveal and skewer simultaneously. This story will inspire and support those troubled with the condition and their families and friends, the world over.

About this title

Synopsis

This book is an extraordinary depiction by a young woman of her descent into the tortured existence of anorexia and her arduous and remarkable recovery from it. Anorexia nervosa is the most fatal of all psychiatric illnesses, and over 90 per cent of eating disorder victims are young women. While anorexia is often portrayed in the media as a phase that some young girls obsessed by their appearance go through, the realities of the illness prove that nothing could be further from the truth. As Lucy states in her powerful depiction: "This isn't about weight, or a diet or a figure. Somewhere along the line I've come to equate fat with failure and weakness. Weight loss is merely symptomatic of the greater psychological problem." Biting Anorexia is unique in that much of it was written while the author was in the grips of the condition. Recovery is the hardest, most challenging and most confusing part - and the one least written about. This book tracks her slow progress out of the illness. Lucy says: "To challenge an eating disorder, or any mental illness, is to wage a prolonged, painful and devastating war...it is the most confusing and emotionally draining part of the illness." Lucy's poetic, honest and often searing account allows the reader to experience the immediacy of her illness. Her lyrical writing and devastating insights have the power to capture, reveal and skewer simultaneously.

Edition details

• Publisher: Finch Publishing
• Publication date: 2008
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1876451920
• ISBN 13: 9781876451929
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 224