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Will I ever be full recovered from my anorexia?

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Guest blog by Hope Virgo , author of Stand Tall Little Girl  I lived with anorexia from the ages of 12 to 17 before being admitted to a mental health hospital . The hospital became my home for the next year of my life when I had to battle to get well. I had to learn to eat again, to exercise in a healthy way and to learn to talk about how I was really feeling. These three things had become so foreign to me and at aged 17 it felt like I was back as a toddler having to learn how to live a life when I would eat enough and not be seduced by the anorexia .  So 10 years on am I completely cured ? Has my recovery been easy ?  Honestly to answer those questions - “ No! ”  So how have I got to where I am?  Perseverance - the battle isn’t an overnight win, it is hard work and takes time but try and be the best at recovery. Beat that manipulative voice in your head who is lying to you!  Learning to talk - one of the hardest things for
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Mental Wellness: Anxiety - what is it?

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Let me begin by telling you a little bit about me. I am an outgoing person; I am sociable; I love people and, when I'm well, I get energy from being around them (this makes me an extrovert). I am a happy person; op timistic and a believer in people being fundamentally good. I am trusting of others.   I also have an anxiety disorder. This series Inspired by an  excellent photography exhibition on anxiety and mental illness by Danielle Langham, over the next few posts, I would like to talk to you about anxiety.  This post will discuss the main features of anxiety in terms of Psychology , Neurobiology , and Symptomatology (I could have just said ' symptoms ' then, but I was enjoying the flow too much - I do love lexicology 😉).  In upcoming posts ,  I will discuss my own experience of anxiety, secondary to Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD), and finally, I will give you tips on how to cope with, and reduce, your anxiety . This will be based on
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Mental Wellness: whatever works - zero preparation foods, part 2

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So you've got through part one of the blog about w hy eating can be so difficult for people with moderate to severe mental illness , and you now have your free zero-preparation food list and tips around how to make steps 1-5 more easily  digestible . Shall we continue to break down the process ? 6)  Deciding w hat to eat By having  snacks and zero-preparation foods dotted around your house and, importantly, within easy reaching distance , you may already find yourself with increased appetite, motivation and ideas on what to eat at a given time. If,  like me, your illness is variable, and there are times you feel you have a little more energy , you can use this time to plan ahead .  You could write a short list on your phone , or on a notepad next to your bed . If it's too much to do alone, ask a friend, partner, family member or mental health professional to help you do this.     I like to think of  'to do' lists  as  'op
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Mental Wellness: whatever works - zero preparation foods, part 1

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Getting a well-balanced diet isn't easy at the best of times, however for somebody with a mental illness, and in particular  moderate/severe mental illness ,  eating anything  at all can feel a truly  insurmountable  task. A planning, shopping, eating, kitchen nightmare . Let us digest the stages involved in eating at home: Planning the food shop Going to the shops Doing the food shop in a highly stimulating environment (noise, people, brand packaging) Going home Unpacking the food shop Deciding on what you want to eat at a given time Planning how to prepare the meal Getting the food from the fridge/cupboards Preparing your meal Eating your meal Washing the dishes Drying the dishes Putting the dishes away Collapse in a heap Now, not everyone necessarily does all these stages all of the time, but, can we just agree that it is never as simple as imagining a meal and it magically appearing in front of you ! Let us chew over
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