June Alexander

Keynote speaker at the 2013 National Eating Disorder Association conference, Dr Thomas Insel, was speaking from the heart when he said, “Eating disorders are family disorders.”* His words remain vital today. When a Federal government shutdown meant Dr Insel could not address the NEDA audience as director of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH,..

My eating disorder has gone to Canberra, Australia’s national capital. The eating disorder has travelled there within the pages of my diary collection, acquired by the National Library of Australia (NLA). There, the eating disorder will be open to public scrutiny. Canberra is an eight-hour road journey from where I live. My diaries and I..

I’ve broken yet again. What hope have I got? I wonder, but I must have hope. Must not I, for when I think there is none, I want to die because one cannot live without hope. (Diary excerpt, 1991) I’m 40 years old. The next day I regress further.  I’m out of control. I am...

Yesterday was one of those days that did not work out as planned. All went well, initially. I was in the local, heated, 50m outdoor pool by 6.10am, doing a half-hour of prescribed exercises. I love being in the water. Then I came home, showered, and took Maisie for a walk on the clifftops. I..

Dear Friends, My plans at the start of this year were to work less, play more, stay upright (that is, don’t fall over) and stay well. My diary reveals I have ticked most of these boxes but, as always, there is room for improvement. Here are some of the things noted in my daily diary..

Early responses to the call for family stories about experience with Family Based Treatment (FBT) for treatment of anorexia nervosa have been a revelation. I posted the call on my blog in October to invite first-person stories for the Second Edition of My Kid is Back – Empowering Parents to Treat Anorexia Nervosa. I am..

So, you want to write your memoir? A memoir is a story about part of your life. What part do you most want to write about? Why? My memoir, A Girl Called Tim, is about my life with an eating disorder from age 11 to age 55. As I entered adulthood, I became known as..

… i got your book A Girl Called Tim out of the library and i literally read the whole thing in one day because i just couldnt put it down … it was the first book i have ever read that describes exactly how i feel … i wish that every doctor would read your..

The book My Kid is Back means a lot to me because my parents did not see their kid come back. When I developed anorexia nervosa (AN) at age 11 (shortly after this picture was taken) there was no help for my parents or me. I wish my parents had been able to access Family..

Exciting news! Professor Daniel Le Grange and I are writing an update to the first edition of My Kid is Back – Empowering Parents to Beat Anorexia Nervosa.  Families who have participated in Family-Based Treatment (FBT) for a child with Anorexia Nervosa (AN) are warmly invited to share their stories in this new edition. This..

Whether or not to define ‘terminal anorexia nervosa’ is being vigorously debated in the eating disorders field. In an article published in the Journal of Eating Disorders, August 25, 2023 edition, Andrea Phillipou writes: Although I disagree with the terminology of ‘terminal AN’ and believe that establishing criteria has the potential to cause harm, I..

Can you remember when you first thought, “I want to write my story”? What was the motivating factor that led to this thought? Or did a close friend or family member convince you that writing your memoir must go on your list of things to do? A memoir can take many forms, and you can..

Welcome to the Private Memoir Hub. This hub is a gathering place for people like you, who want to write their memoir. Above all else, this hub is a place where you can feel safe and secure, and free to share innermost thoughts and feelings. Writing a memoir requires opening a door to your hitherto..

Postscript: I apologise if you have received a “Demo!”newsletter  – sigh, I’m  still getting used to the new functionality available on this wonderful new website.  Writing a memoir is rather like running a marathon. Success requires time, dedication, preparation, planning, and perseverance. Between us, I think that holding your own printed story in your hands..

Supermarkets are more than a place to purchase groceries. They are also a place to gather stories. And the extra good news is that these stories, which nourish our soul, are free. The stories won’t be found on shelves. They will be found in the aisles, in many shapes and forms, just like you and..

The Diary Healer has transitioned to this new site with a new aim and a new name. Building on The Diary Healer’s accomplishments, lifestoriesdiary.com is here to encourage story-sharing and help you write your story. Are you one of the many people who say, ‘I will write my story one day,’ but never quite get..

As I ‘came out’ and began to share my story publicly through my memoir, A Girl Called Tim (2011), an amazing thing happened. Shame, stigma, and secrets that had been the bane of my life for decades, were quelled. Rather than remain quiet, my diaries ‘came out’ too. For instance, besides providing the main data source..

The story behind this website began when I was 11 years’ old in 1962. Early that year, I developed an eating disorder but a gift of a diary at Christmas seemed to offer a reprieve and give me comfort and hope. Writing helped me to feel better. Words were like good friends – they were..

Writing about one’s life is like walking along a gravelled country road, picking up a dusty stone, and giving it a good rub to reveal the gem within. Often all that’s needed is a bit of a dust-off, a sprinkling of self-belief and encouragement, and away we go. Especially when we have a writing mentor..

When I mentor clients in memoir writing, I explain this can be a three-stage process, depending on their goal. Stage One involves writing the first version of your story for yourself. This is the time to put everything on the table. Don’t hold back. Maybe there are repressed experiences that have shaped and influenced your..

An amazing depth of connection, awareness and self-discovery has evolved and blossomed through The Diary Healer blog since 2012. More than 500 first-person stories have been shared on the blog during this time. The archive of Diary Healer blogs has grown into a rich resource for anyone seeking information about eating disorders and body image...

Have you ever felt ready to reset your priorities? I was feeling this way and now I am excited to share details of an upcoming change with you. The Diary Healer has shared personal stories of hope and awareness about eating disorders with many readers around the world since its inception in January 2017. Over..

Imagine you are very old, and you are travelling back in time, as a child, as an adult, and as a senior — Frank Upfill, octogenarian and member of June’s Writing Clan, takes us on a ride:  “How did you go at golf today?” Before I can answer, my friend Annette adds, “You are almost 90..

Hi Grandma, How’s your Darwin trip so far? This message from granddaughter Olivia, 13, comes when I’m in the Top End, Australia’s Northern Territory, about 4000kms from home in country Victoria. Olivia was born just prior to my memoir being published (see letter to Olivia in A Girl Called Tim) in 2010 and, along with..

I am writing from Bright, a town as beautiful as its name in north-east Victoria, Australia. I am on a three-day getaway with my English Staffordshire Terrier, Maisie. The two of us. We are staying in a delightful studio apartment beside the crystal-clear Ovens River that borders the town. There are bush tracks everywhere. Bliss...

Do you want to help someone struggling with eating disorder symptoms, but lack confidence to intervene, in case you say the “wrong” thing? The good news is that with mental health first aid guidance you can be confident that you are doing no harm and highly likely are helping to save a life. The secret..

Imagine writing a self-healing, feel-good book to document your goals and progress this year. What will your chapters comprise? Lotta, who has anorexia nervosa, writes: It is the time of the year when there is space to look on the traces of the last months. It may be the time to let go. To get..

People from across Australia are being invited to complete a public survey that will help ensure broad input into a National Eating Disorders Strategy 2023-2033. Responses to the public survey, organised by the National Eating Disorders Collaboration (NEDC), will help refine key priorities for the National Strategy. As a survey respondent, you will be asked..

I am like a dinosaur when it comes to diary writing. I have kept a diary since childhood. I’m now 72.  The diary is part of me. Why? Early this week I was conversing with daughter Amanda, 46, about my diary collection, wondering out loud who might take care of it when “I’m gone”. Amanda..

My birthdays have often been a non-event. However, an epiphany has marked my latest milestone. Yesterday, surrounded by five grandchildren and their parents lustily singing Happy Birthday, I felt overwhelmed by a sudden, deeper freedom to experience the moment. I thought, my goodness, I’m going to burst into tears. Tears of gratitude. Tears of gratitude..

A team of Australian researchers believe that listening to stories from people who have eating disorder experience is the best way forward in finding new ways to treat the illness. The Western Sydney University research team, led by Dr Janet Conti and Professor Phillipa Hay in collaboration with Laura Kiely and Yive Yang, wants to..

For years I said, ‘I won’t know who I am, without my eating disorder.’ I was fearful of recovery because the eating disorder dominated my identity. If you feel this same way, I’ve good news. I recovered from anorexia nervosa 17 years ago, but the illness has been allowed to stay. Rather than pretend it..

Six months after developing anorexia nervosa, at age 11, I received a diary as a Christmas gift. The diary and I  became inseparable. Nobody told me to write or gave guidance in what to write. I just did. More than 60 years later, my diaries fill a bookcase. These books document decades of mental health..

‘Perfectionism’ is a common trait among people who develop an eating disorder. Karyn and Tanya explore the impact of perfectionism and why imperfection is important to them today. Karyn – to banish imperfection is to destroy expression I was a normal child wanting to be accepted and loved. Acceptance and love were not there from those who..

Amazing things can happen when one breaks free from an eating disorder (ED) and channels the illness negativity into positive pursuits. For instance, you can find a new ‘family’ in the eating disorder field. In 2007, 44 years after developing anorexia nervosa, I publicly shared my inner story for the first time. My hope was that..

My five grandchildren are aged 10 to 15. At their age, I was in the grips of anorexia nervosa (AN). Today I am eagle-eyed and constantly alert, ready to pounce on any sign of an eating disorder symptom covertly infiltrating their young lives. I am determined that the illness that stole so much from me, will..

Writing with the guidance of a writing mentor can assist the healing process by enabling self-discoveries. Tanya Motiani, who has severe anorexia nervosa, shares how writing is helping her to discover ‘potential for contentment’: Since starting to work with a writing mentor two years ago, I have made discoveries about myself, both simple and more complex...

Depending on where we are on our eating disorder (ED) recovery journey, we will respond differently to the poems or stories that we read. When our ED is loud and raging, we will be drawn to, and love, everything that paints ED as the powerful one. Such is the magnetism of ED, we will read,..

If you really want to know me, read my poems, because this is my soul. _ Anne Poetry is an art form that helps many people to express how they feel. It may involve jotting down a poem now and then when feeling inspired, keeping a daily journal specifically for expressing ongoing thoughts and feelings in..

I’m excited today to hold a copy of a new translation of Getting Better Bite by Bite — this time, in Polish. Getting Better Bite by Bite is a survival kit/self-help book, written for people experiencing symptoms of binge eating and bulimia eating disorders. It has been an honour to write the new version of this classic book..

Regina Meyer When I finished the first draft of my manuscript, I felt chuffed and excited. ‘My book is just around the corner,’ I thought, swept up in my initial euphoria. Of course, I had heard reports of accomplished authors who had submitted their work to countless publishers before succeeding in their quest. I swiftly..

A podcast with eating disorder therapist Karin Lewis tells of how a love of writing and family helped me to forge a life of my own, beyond a 44-year battle with anorexia nervosa. As background to the podcast interview, Karin invited me to address the following questions: Recovery questions Do you believe recovery is possible for everyone regardless..

By Karyn Braveheart She saw the advertisement in the local paper. It looked genuine at first, but then she started to have a few doubts. “Best I ring,” she said to herself, so she decided it might be a good idea to jot down a few things she needed to say. She pretended she was..

In 1962, when undiagnosed anorexia nervosa ravaged my 11-year-old mind and body, a small miracle occurred. A Christmas gift of a diary sparked a lifelong passion. A bond of trust and friendship was forged immediately with that little diary. I began writing in it that very day. Sixty years on, in 2022, I continue to..

Families do not cause an eating disorder (ED). However, the family’s role in treatment and recovery is crucial. This is because the best place to heal from an ED is in the home. However, for this to happen, we need greater support in the home, to enable carers to practise self-care as well as care..

Do you think you can tell a person has an eating disorder just by their appearance? Do you think a person with an eating disorder looks a certain way? Do you think they are either very fat or very thin, depending on the type of eating disorder? Wrong, wrong, wrong. This Christmas, millions of people..

By Anonymous As I approached my 50th birthday I found myself thinking more and more about ageing. I would look in the mirror in the morning and increasingly see wrinkles and sagging where before there used to be bright eyes and smooth skin. I saw hollows emerging, skin creasing, blemishes that were permanent features as..

Writing about one’s life is like picking up a stone on a dusty gravel road and giving it a good rub to reveal the gem within. Besides writing books about eating disorders, I enjoy helping people discover their own special gem. My love of the written word began when I was three. An early memory..

Feeling misunderstood is one of the most difficult and emotionally painful aspects when experiencing an eating disorder. My parents and sister, after decades of witnessing behaviours driven by my illness, gave up trying to understand me. Do I blame them? No. I accept that they did not understand my illness. In fact, because I looked..

Tanya Motiani It was a cold, misty morning when Sparrow emerged from his egg. The air twitched with Fog as a diluted sun tried hastily to make its ascent beyond the clouds. For weeks Sparrow had been protected by the shell of his little egg, snug beneath Mother Bird’s feathers. But now it was time..

Often, during recovery, I never wanted to hear the term “eating disorder” again. Why then, have I embraced the term and become involved in eating disorder advocacy? Why not shut out the eating disorder experience and pretend the big gap that the illness ate in my life never happened? Maybe this would have been possible..

Jasmine Evans “I’m coming Allie, sorry I forgot my travel pouch.” Screaming as I race down three flights of stairs, I miss my footing at the bottom step, and stumble into the arms of my “boss” who is laughing at me…. “Well, Jasmine, please wait until we get to France before drinking!” Both giggling, we give..

Sam Tench was recovering from a major life challenge when the COVID-19 pandemic hit in early 2020. She had just hit upon writing and photography as a way of cultivating connection with her healthy self after years in the clutches of a long-term eating disorder. Only a month or two before the pandemic spread, Sam..

So you want to write your memoir? A memoir is a story about part of your life. Memoir-writing can also be a great self-healer. As a mentor for memoir-writing, I explain the creation of your story can be a three-stage process, depending on your goal. Memoir-writing is about letting your inside story out; it is an..

The most important thing you can do when assisting someone with an eating disorder is to prepare by educating yourself as much as possible about eating disorders. You will need to constantly remind yourself that behind this illness is the person you are trying to reach and care for. The eating disorder can be very..

This is a call-out to Australians who have experienced or are experiencing an eating disorder for the first time in adulthood. Anushri Sood, a producer/journalist for SBS, is working on an article about eating disorders and would like to speak with you. Stories of eating disorder experience help to increase understanding and dispel misconceptions about this..

When anorexia nervosa (AN) dominated my mind, I behaved in some really crazy and sometimes dangerous ways. I would not dream of behaving like that today, because AN no longer bullies or manipulates my thoughts. But during my most vulnerable moments, I lived life on the edge. Even a cookie could spark a traumatic event. Living..

Whatever mess we find ourselves in, hope is our most powerful get-well tool. When we experience illness or trauma, our recovery becomes a journey and a destination. Along the way, hope provides a lantern when shadows surround us. Our wellbeing aligns with recovery and this has many parts – our spirit and soul; friends and..

By Michelle Southern and Jennifer Hamer Two Australian-based women, Michelle and Jennifer, have created an online self-help eating disorder program to help address gaps in accessible and adequate treatment and care. Michelle and Jennifer bring first-hand understanding to the fore — their lives, studies and careers have been shaped through their experience with an eating..

We thank Mamamia and The Quicky for helping to raise awareness about eating disorders (ED) and in particular, EDs impacting adult women. June was delighted to share her story and the message that recovery is possible at every age. Click here to listen or search ‘The Quicky’ in your podcast app.

“You are looking well today.” My aunt’s words became frozen in time. As a 13-year-old with anorexia nervosa, my brain sprang to high alert. Thoughts raged: “I’m fat. I look horrible. I must eat less.” Recovery roared in reverse. That incident happened decades ago, and I have forgiven my ignorant aunt, but the same well-meaning..

Too often, our words and behaviours become lost in translation and the eating disorder (ED) wins every time. Our diary provides a place to record our truth when no-one will listen. The Hidden Face of Anorexia  … This illness has cost me so much, for so long And I still don’t understand Why am I..

Flaws in our public health system* are creating havoc in the lives of people with eating disorders (EDs). I am a mentor for Shelley**, who is in her 40s, and lives in a country town in Australia. Shelley has diagnoses of severe depression and severe and enduring anorexia nervosa (SEAN). She has a husband and..

I hope you have a new diary ready for 2021. I have three. I chose one, and two are gifts. 2021 is shaping up to be my most prolific diary-writing year yet! I look forward to becoming acquainted with these diaries. I know they will each develop into a loyal, inspirational, ever-present confidante and friend..

I became a champion mistake-maker when healing from my eating disorder (ED). This trial and error period occurred during a complete, internal makeover. I was exploring a new frontier, a whole new set of challenges that would lead me to me. Forty-four years as ED’s prisoner had left me devoid of self. With no idea..

June was thrilled to be invited to contribute to the Routledge Experts on Mental Health hub. You can access the hub via this link – look for June’s video at the top of the list: How can diary writing help as a survival tool in eating disorders?

Choosing when to write your eating disorder story with a view to sharing it with the world, requires careful consideration. Writing about your experience, with or without a diary, requires threads and themes to be picked up and woven into an account that will appeal to and connect with readers. Many re-writes may take place..

Living with an eating disorder for 20 or more years can severely impact life quality. Some people with a long-term eating disorder can be high functioning on a tiny partial self, while others are trapped in a perpetual revolving door scenario, going from home to hospital, and hospital to home.  Always, the struggle not to..

One thing that springs to mind when I think of researchers and scientists is their love of a good acronym. As a woman in her thirties, two acronyms in particular hold a deep meaning for me: the Anorexia Nervosa Genetics Initiative (ANGI) and the Eating Disorders Genetics Initiative (EDGI). Anorexia Nervosa Genetics Initiative (ANGI) DNA..

June was interviewed recently by Edwina and Greg McHenry on Community Connect. Listen via iTunes or OCR FM podcasts.

Sometimes, sharing a secret with others we have never met, online, can seem easier to do than in a room with someone we have known all of our life. Stories can be shared in many ways: face-to-face, by letter or email, in mainstream media or on the Internet. Some online options allow anonymity while sharing..

My first diary was a Christmas gift in 1962, the same year I developed anorexia nervosa. I was 11 years old. The diary and I bonded immediately and diary-writing has been part of my life every day since. The entry for January 1, 1963, is crammed with details of food consumed, exercise taken, the time..

Dr Richard Kreipe and a former patient Audry Mattle collaborate in this article to give hope to others who may have experienced a resurfacing or amplification of eating disorder thinking patterns during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thank you, Dr Kreipe and Audry for sharing your wisdom for the benefit of people with eating disorder experience, caregivers..

How are you coping with your eating disorder (ED) during the COVID-19 pandemic? Even if, like me, you have been in recovery or recovered from the illness for some years, the social and physical isolation restrictions enforced by our health providers and governments to fight the virus spread, have probably triggered memories of the loneliness..

Our world is facing a health challenge unprecedented in most of our lifetimes. COVID-19, which developed late last year in China, is now reaching all corners of the world with far reaching impact, and scientists and researchers are scrambling to understand this new form of coronavirus and create a vaccine to guard against it. For..

Eating disorders don’t only affect children and teenagers. They affect people across their lifespan. If you are an adult experiencing eating disorder symptoms, the good news is that recovery is possible. For 44 years, from age 11 to 55, an eating disorder locked me in a cell in my mind. Finding the key to escape..

Trauma comes in all shapes and sizes. Sometimes the cause is visible and sometimes it is not. The bushfires blazing over much of eastern Australia, including my beloved childhood region of East Gippsland, are sparking trauma for many people. The losses mount. Lives lost. Possessions lost. Livelihoods lost. Essential services and infrastructure lost. Small rural..

I think it’s time my past was made public. I’ve always felt ashamed of it, I suppose, though I realize now I shouldn’t feel this way. I haven’t done anything wrong; I’ve just had an illness. From my memoir A Girl Called Tim Whether you are seven or 70, writing a diary is a great..

Dear Friends, As we ‘mature’ the years seem to go faster, and time becomes more precious. Not knowing how much time we have we want to use it in the most meaningful way possible. I hope 2019 has been all you have wanted it to be. Goodness, I will be 70 next year and am..

Recognition is growing that answers for successful treatments for eating disorders are found through listening to patients and their families. Therefore, I hasten to provide details of two research projects at Flinders University, Australia, which offer fresh opportunity for people with experience to share their stories.   If you have eating disorder experience, either as..

Today, I pushed another hole in the prison wall that an eating disorder erected in my brain at age 11. That wall effectively disconnected my healthy self from my body until I was 55. Thirteen years on, eating three meals and three snacks a day without guilt, shame and self-loathing is a daily joy. But..

People who recover from an eating disorder represent a great repository of untapped potential in helping others to heal from this complex illness. This Friday, August 23, together with Olivia Soho and Carly Harris, I will present a workshop that explores peer support and mentoring as an innovative approach in eating disorder treatment and recovery...

The first article in a “patient and doctor” series on understanding eating disorders  Audry Mattle, diagnosed with an eating disorder at age 13, was told that she was The Problem. She was manipulative, a hopeless case. Being a “good Audry” or “bad Audry” became defined by weight. Audry felt reduced to nothing but a number..

By Juliana Winik When I was 14, I was admitted to the paediatric ward at our local hospital with the eating disorder, Anorexia Nervosa. My body had begun shutting down. My physical decline from well to severely ill happened rapidly. The morning I was admitted to the hospital was the first time I had heard..

Fifty years ago, Man landed on the Moon. As an 18-year-old exchange student studying in the United States at the time, my memory is vivid of this historic moment. My memory is not so much of the grey, grainy, ghostlike outline of men in white spacesuits stepping gingerly out to a lunar landing, but of..

I feel deeply emotional about this week’s announcement on genetic discovery. For a start, contributing a DNA sample to this ground-breaking research led by Professor Cynthia Bulik has helped me and thousands of others to feel that our lives and illness experience count. We want to ease suffering of others. Participating in this research helps..

Euthanasia, or voluntary assisted dying laws, must not be considered a solution for a person with an eating disorder. I will proceed to explain my position on this life and death issue. Instead of death as a solution for people with eating disorders, I urge us all to focus on hope, faith, trust, life quality,..

“I don’t want to live like this anymore.”  This sentence has surfaced during almost every phase of my eating disorder journey. When sitting on the floor in my bedroom, holding my head in my hands in desperation, with the carpet burning against my skin, feeling the fear that comes with seeing that scale creep higher..

“Life is not fair,” my psychiatrist said rather bluntly some years ago, when I was bemoaning relationship losses. The losses – my parents, sister and extended family members – were ongoing casualties of my eating disorder and I was feeling sad. I felt very indignant and offended at first, at my psychiatrist’s dismissive phrase and..

Nobody can afford to wait for treatment for an Eating Disorder. On World Eating Disorders Action Day 2019, Amy Cunningham and June Alexander, together with Kathy and Michael Cortese, explain why, and what we can all do about it. Today. A parent accessing a reputable online eating disorders support site for families and caregivers will..

Hello – I’m June Alexander, and I’m going to speak to you today about my memoir, A Girl Called Tim: Escape from an Eating Disorder Hell. I’m going to read from my memoir, and first of all I’m going to read the introduction. Click here to access the podcast.

A Girl Called Tim is a treasure from the heart to the hearts and minds of others as it invites a compassionate understanding of these painful illnesses. June Alexander’s ability and willingness to create such a memoir is a gift. Lynn GrefePresident and C.E.O. National Eating Disorders Association http://www.NationalEatingDisorders.org March 2012, from “A”, South Australia:..

I waited until I was almost 60 (a grandmother!) before I wrote my memoir, A Girl Called Tim. I had wanted to write my story for more than 30 years and suddenly the time was right. The answer as to why I waited so long is found in my childhood. I developed anorexia nervosa shortly..

Did my recovery experience have to be so tortuous? Could the diary have provided a more pro-active role in healing? I wanted to find out. Above all, the catalyst for my book The Diary Healer was a desire to explore and reveal the potential of diary writing as a therapeutic tool in self-renewal and healing. The story behind..

 I was thirty-two, suicidal, and trapped in a self-destruction spiral when I met the psychiatrist who would save my life. I had developed anorexia nervosa at age eleven and the illness was embedded in my brain. ‘Prof’, as I called him, won my trust, saved my life. My therapy had no name. What mattered was..

A vital element in healing from a mental health challenge is to know we are not alone. This is particularly so when experiencing an eating disorder, an illness which by its very nature encourages secrecy and promotes isolation. In seeking to heal from an eating disorder, it helps to know that others have felt like we..

I am delighted and excited to announce the birth of my book affectionately known as The Diary Healer… I am deeply grateful for the many generous contributions, together with ongoing assistance, guidance and encouragement in the creation of this book, a three-year journey which has led to many friendships being formed, and in the process, the..

Young UK researcher, Katie Linden, needs your help, fast! She wants to gather 100 participants before the end of July to assist her investigation on whether people who have experienced anorexia without body dysmorphia show the same local processing bias as people with more ‘typical’ anorexia. Here is the link. To help interest you in taking part, Katie answers..

‘Grandma, when you were in hospital last year, were you really sick?’ My eldest grandson, aged nine, and I are walking home from the local shops, enjoying a little ‘us’ time, when he pops this question, out of the blue. I pause in my step. Almost drop my bundle. This little scenario is one big reason..

Getting Better Bite by Bite around the world – I’m totally excited today to hold a copy of the new German translation of Getting Better Bite by Bite.   This survival kit/self-help book is written for people experiencing symptoms of binge eating and bulimia eating disorders. It has been an honour to write the new version..

Often we might wonder if what we do, really matters. Working on World Eating Disorders Action Day has mattered, and will continue to matter…because we, and others who come on board for however long on this journey, will make it matter. Being a member of the steering committee for this amazing, first-ever, World Eating Disorders Day..

From around the world to home town, eating disorder activists and advocates are chirping and tweeting like a massive flock of beautiful birds. We are flexing our wings, beginning to venture forth from our nests. We are preparing to fly around our homes and around the world with the message that eating disorders are treatable illnesses..

Learning I was not the only one in the world with my difficult, painful, bossy thoughts, was a revelation in realising I had a mental illness and could heal from it. This revelation came about through reading the stories of others. Sharing our stories provides a vital function in letting others know they are not..

Through collaboration, solutions will be found to the eating disorder mystery. We can all help. Including you. Your experience counts! In many, many important ways. For instance, Kelly Romano, a student in Florida State University’s Mental Health Counseling M.S./Ed.S program, is completing a masters-level thesis on the eating disorder recovery process and seeks your help. By participating in..

Today, I sat in class with Olivia Rose at grandparents’ day at her school. My story could have been so, so different. Olivia Rose, I am glad I did not give up, that I reached out and found help to beat my illness, because I am here to enjoy you and our beautiful family… Letter to..

  I liken my life to that of a cicada, an insect that lives underground in the dark for many years, before emerging into the light for a brief and noisy appearance. Upon receiving the Meehan/Hartley Award for Public Service and Advocacy, at the Academy of Eating Disorders ICED,  I was allowed two minutes in..

“My Life is My Message” — Mohandas Gandhi (1869-1948). Five words say it all. To come across Mr Gandhi’s statue on my first walkabout upon arriving in San Francisco today, for the 2016 AED ICED, was ever so meaningful (together with the gorgeous sunshine, fresh sea breeze, that dealt with jet lag fast). Together with..

Carers come in all shapes and sizes, my youngest being four-year-old grand-daughter Amelia. Amelia provides light relief and perfect balance to my writing passion for raising awareness of eating disorders. This week on a grandma visit, Amelia got busy looking through my kitchen drawers to find a plastic shopping bag. She then asked for a pair..

To go from suffering silently, feeling alienated and misunderstood as a child, to be helping to organise the first World Eating Disorders Action Day on June 2, is a pinnacle moment in my life. This is my story. To be working with others, around the world, who share a passion to do what it takes for eating..

Caring for somebody who has a mental illness is challenging, exhausting, worrying and life changing in equal measures; but when you care for a loved one suffering an eating disorder you must rise to the dual challenges of meeting the physical and emotional needs of a sick loved one. Louise Sezgin of Plymouth Eating Disorders Support Group,..

The buildup to World Eating Disorder Action Day on June 2 is gathering pace like a beautiful breeze heralding goodwill to all. From a ground force swell, support for this historic event is reaching into all corners of the globe. Including Korea. For eating disorders do not discriminate. They affect people all ages and all races...

Starting treatment for Anorexia Nervosa in my 30s, after developing the illness as a child, made for a tough recovery path. Illness effects linger, especially with  interpersonal relationships. I understand why Professor Mary Tantillo calls eating disorders the ‘diseases of disconnection’. Some relationships can be saved and even enriched but others, especially when the eating disorder has had..

Watching a dear friend descend into the hell of an eating disorder can cause feelings of utter helplessness – what to do, how to help? When her friend developed anorexia nervosa more than 12 months ago, Judy Baulch was feeling ‘absolutely powerless’. “Helplessness was accompanied by frustration and disbelief as the cracks my friend had fallen through in the..

Arising sleepy-eyed at 5.am. for an international teleconference with wide-awake women in the northern hemisphere is part of the fun of helping to arrange our world’s first ever Eating Disorders Action Day. I love it. The first World Eating Disorders Action Day will take place on June 2, 2016 and generate information virtually around the globe...

Would you like to contribute to the creation of an inspirational video for International Women’s Day on March 8? If so, Lilac Sheer, who has Ana on the run, has a message via me for you. Lilac writes: I’m creating a really cool women’s empowerment video for women’s day. The song talks about the days we..

... And I refuse to run & hide Yes I know you from inside, And I won’t live this lonely life anymore These are the closing lines in ‘Ana‘, a music video created to promote awareness for eating disorders. I wish this video had been around when I was a kid. It would have helped me..

When I tentatively ‘came out’, after 40-plus years confined to a prison in the mind, I discovered many benefits in sharing my story in supportive and safe environments. The biggest reward was self-belief…a life essential that had been quashed by my eating disorder, and by the stigma and shame that goes with it. It has led to seven books, candidature in..

This story is about friendship, a bond that knows no bounds. Helen created the word ‘bestest’. It sums up our friendship perfectly. We met at the Lindenow district primary school sports day in 1962. Two shy sixth grade girls, from separate one-room schools, Fernbank and Woodglen. We exchanged names and found we would both attend..

Eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia are often thought of as diseases that affect young people. However there’s growing evidence that thousands of older Australians are also suffering silently. Older women are particularly susceptible, especially when their bodies are going changes like menopause or after pregnancy. Aired on 7.30 Report, click here to watch.

Three-part series June filmed as part of a CQU course: Part 1: Part 2: Part 3: An interview with June for the Centre of Excellence in Eating Disorders (CEED), featured on the website reachoutandrecover.com.au: An introductory video for lifestoriesdiary.com: An anecdote about a workshop conducted by June: A look at writing your story and what..

Listen to Paula Konetjl and Hayden Miller, The Morning Crew on Geelong BayFM 93.9, interview June about eating disorders and the important messages in My Kid Is Back and A Girl Called Tim. Geelong 93.9BayFM — Making waves in the fight against eating disorders Your browser does not support the audio element. Genevieve Jacobs on 666 ABC Canberra in..

The National Eating Disorders Association and the PBS program This Emotional Life have co-produced a webinar on eating disorder recovery.  The webinar, which runs for 60 minutes, is hosted by NEDA CEO Lynn Grefe and features helpful discussion with both males and females with eating disorder experience, together with professionals, on the definition of RECOVERY. ..