Memoirs on eating disorders – what did you find helpful?

Memoirs on eating disorders – what did you find helpful?

Readers are invited to share their favourite quotes/excerpts from helpful memoirs on eating disorders – I am co-authoring a research paper on the usefulness of memoirs in educating mental health nurses. I am particularly interested in short passages, even one-liners, that you have found particularly helpful, and why this resonated and connected so strongly with you.  Was it inspirational, hopeful, educational?

We want to show how narratives can help the reader understand aspects of the illness/recovery journey, the tipping point  and other phases. The ultimate aim of this work is to provide mental health students with a guided reading of memoirs, so that they can be a) more understanding and b) more facilitative of change … helping them understand what an eating disorders like from ‘the inside’ rather than seeing it purely through clinical eyes.

Reading memoirs, as well as engaging in guided discussions about them, may help future clinicians realise the importance of empathy and unconditional positive regard in establishing a collaborative relationship.

This Paper will argue how learning through memoirs of illness and recovery benefits students. It will share some of the creative ways selected biographies can be used to help transform the perspective of health profession students.

It is also part of a project to build an evidence base in the use of narratives for promoting insight, change and empowerment within nursing, sharing ideas to support the confidence and creativity of other educators in the use of narratives in various forms to teach essential nursing concepts.

Be sure to include the title of the book(s) you mention, and your favourite quotes (could be a phrase that  resonated with you when you need it most), and send to:

Email: june@junealexander.com