From patient to researcher – sharing the journey

From patient to researcher – sharing the journey

Relief_upon completing PhD confirmation of candidature presentation.

A walk along the seashore at home this morning provided a moment to absorb the relief of completing PhD Confirmation of Candidature at CQUniversity, Noosa, Queensland, this past week.

The PhD, in Creative Writing, focuses on the use of diary writing in recovering from an eating disorder.

Thanks to two great supervisors, this journey from a patient to researcher is turning out to be an amazing literary adventure.
The response from the confirmation audience (almost all nurse educators and academics in mental health) was encouraging and heartening, although at the same time revealing/confirming a dearth of understanding, even among our health professionals, on what living with an eating disorder is like.

I encourage sufferers of eating disorders, and their carers, to write about and share their experiences in safe and supportive environments. Your voice counts. In sharing our stories, we are contributing to efforts to help raise awareness and understanding of this serious illness at all levels in our communities.

Now that the confirmation has been ‘ticked’, I can focus on the PhD creative work, The Diary Healer.
I look forward to this. Thank you for your support:-)