An eating disorder recovery coach in a box

An eating disorder recovery coach in a box

Anorexia very nearly stole my life. After 15 years in what can only be described as a living hell, I was told I had only a few weeks to live; my dear body couldn’t hold on any longer. I could feel myself slipping away; after more than a decade of going to war with my mind every day, I felt exhausted, traumatised and completely defeated.

A few years before this, my family and I had been told by my treatment team that I was a lost cause and that palliative care arrangements should be made. So, to an extent, I had already bet the odds, and now the end was inevitable. I didn’t want to die, but I also didn’t have the strength to face another day of being relentlessly tortured by my eating disorder. Another day of feeling my body wasting away, my heart struggling to keep beating, and my mind dissolving. What I wanted more than anything was to be at peace; this was my final wish.

The healing power of words

It was in the depths of that darkness that I came to realise the healing power of words. I was introduced to a neuro linguistic programming therapist who, unbeknown to me, was about to transform my life. She looked me straight in the eyes and said, “You don’t have an eating disorder; an eating disorder is not something that you HAVE; it’s something that you DO. It’s a behaviour that’s become a habit, and habits can be changed if you really want to.”

Even in my severely malnourished state with anorexia’s claws digging in so deeply to my mind, body and spirit – those words resonated deeply in my soul. They were the catalyst for a pivotal moment of reckoning. I realised I held the power and, despite what the ‘experts’ had said, I could recover if I truly set my mind to it.

Long story short, in six months, I turned my life around; I fully weight restored, and equally importantly, I restored my dear heart and soul, too. This was the hardest six months of my life; every day was an absolute endurance test as a 24/7 battle raged between my Eating Disorder Self and my Healthy Self. But every morning, I woke up and made a conscious, consistent commitment to getting closer to freedom.

For people in trenches of eating disorder recovery

Affirmations were one of my most important recovery tools; I used them multiple times a day, every day, to keep me on track and bring me down out of my head and into my heart when anorexia was raging relentlessly.

Over the years, I was given a number of different affirmation card packs from friends and family, but they were all so generic and didn’t resonate, and sometimes they could even be triggering. So, when I conquered anorexia, I dreamt of one day creating affirmation cards of my very own, specifically for people still in the trenches of eating disorder recovery. I wanted to create the very cards that I wished I had had in my darkest days.

So, after many years, I am thrilled to release my Hope & Healing Affirmation Cards to the world!

I’ve lovingly curated a deck of 65 cards with the intention that they become a daily source of motivation and inspiration. These cards contain my most salient words of wisdom: a recovery coach in a box. I’ve spent over a year creating them and collaborating with small Australian businesses to ensure that every element is impeccably designed and made to be treasured forever.

Providing comfort when you need it most

For years now, I’ve been dedicated to providing resources for people in eating disorder recovery who are unable to access one-on-one coaching support. I know that the podcasts and support groups have helped people immeasurably. But I’ve always dreamt of creating something else people can hold in their hands and close to their hearts. My Hope & Healing Affirmation Cards are just that; they are designed to be taken with you wherever you might be to provide you with that little moment of solace when you need it most.

I believe that full recovery from an eating disorder is possible, and I hope that my words of wisdom will help make that a reality for those who are still fighting the brave fight.

To add my Hope & Healing affirmation cards to your recovery toolbox,  click here, and I’ll send them to you!

• Neuro linguistic programming is a philosophy that comprises models, techniques and strategies to help us understand how the language we use influences the way we think and the results we get. The premise that underpins it is that there is a connection between neurological processes (neuro), language (linguistic) and behavioural patterns learned through experience (programming) and that these can be changed to achieve specific goals in life. I found this to be a particularly effective way to approach eating disorder recovery because it empowered me with the knowledge that, no matter how long I had battled with an eating disorder, I could change my life at any point in time if I made a choice. It all starts with being intentional about language use. Thus, I’ve created these affirmation cards to give a solid foundation from which you, too, can start changing your self-talk and, in turn, your perspective.