The Importance of a Healthy View of Body Image - Nicole Riddle

Nicole spoke with passion about the eating disorder anorexia and how it develops into bulimia. She took us through the feelings of rejection she’d felt at 18, how she became extreme in her choices of foods, checking labels and total healthiness. She then began exercising excessively and dropping weight and when people noticed it gave her feelings of power and a sense of achievement. Bulimia developed next and she found herself binging and purging, which she described as an ‘out of body’ experience. There were 2 parts: herself and Ed (eating disorder).  The 1st step to helping herself was to admit her problem to a special friend and her family. She then began Cognitive Therapy Behaviour with a psychologist and learned to love herself as she was, to make good choices. Looking back she can see the mistakes she made and the reasons for her problem, but meeting her husband gave her strength and helped her to disempower the disorder. Nicole’s recovery spanned 2 ½ years and she feels she lost her adolescent years. She has now started an Eating Disorder Recovery Group called ‘Just the way you are’, in order to pass on her wealth of experience and knowledge to other sufferers.
www.justthewayyouare.org

Jo thanked Nicole for taking us on her life journey so far and presented her with a token gift.