| Published: | 1 July 2008 |
| Format: | Paperback 224 pp |
| Category: | Child & Adolescent Health, Women's Health, Parenting & Childcare, Memoir |
| ISBN: | 9781876451929 |
| Price: | $26.95 |
| Purchase this book | |
Biting Anorexia
A first-hand account of an internal war
Lucy Howard-Taylor
Updated December 2011: now also available from the iBookstore: http://itunes.apple.com/au/book/biting-anorexia/id490412273?mt=11
'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 and remarkable 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.
'Lucy's brave struggle to reclaim her life from an eating disorder provides a graphic yet poetic insight into the pain and suffering experienced by sufferers of eating disorders and will no doubt provide a positive incentive to others - to both those already in treatment and to those who are struggling to take that first step.' Claire Vickery, CEO/Founder, The Butterfly Foundation.
'In her raw and compelling account of the experience of anorexia nervosa, Lucy strips away all grandiosity or pretension ... her cautious, tentative steps towards recovery should inspire not only those currently trapped by the illness or its relapses, but also families who all too often have their deep trauma minimised and trivialised.' Amanda Jordan, Chief Executive Officer, Eating Disorders Foundation.
Lucy Howard-Taylor
Lucy Howard-Taylor is studying English/Law at Sydney University and is a talented photographer and published poet. She has also edited Australasia’s oldest literary journal, Hermes, and the university women’s law journal Yemaya. In between writing articles for the campus newspaper, she likes to eat cinnamon toast and dream about studying at Oxford.
