writing

  • BEWARE OF THE DISUSED RAILWAY LINE

    Imagine you have gone for a walk in the countryside in an area with which you are not familiar.  You have been walking through fields and realise you are a little lost.  There are a few freshly trodden paths through the grass which head off in various directions, and there is also a disused railway… Read more

  • DAD

    WARNING: THIS ONE IS DEEP. Today marks a significant milestone in my recovery: my return to work. Having completed my treatment programme four weeks ago, the ensuing decision to take some additional time before reintroducing work, has absolutely proved the right thing to have done.  The additional progress I have made in the interlude in… Read more

  • BE MARGARET

    Modern society puts us under enormous pressure to meet it’s ideals across all areas of life. This is ever more impossible to escape from in the social media age. We are bombarded by messages which invade our minds with perceptions of the ideal body shape and size, the hairstyle of the moment, on trend clothing,… Read more

  • GO FORTH NAKED

    Maybe not stark naked.  I mean, if you have the body confidence to do so, then kudos to you and I’m jealous! No, I mean without the mask. One of my key observations worth noting this week has been linked to my upcoming return to work.  In many ways, I am excited, and I spoke… Read more

  • “JUST GET READY FI WORK, WORK, WORK, WORK, WORK”

    I love my job.  Not many people can say that and so I feel lucky that I genuinely enjoy what I do.  I was devastated at the thought of having to take time off for treatment after being diagnosed with anorexia. Since returning from a career break, in 2015, I had not had a single… Read more

  • THOUGHTS FROM A WEEKEND AWAY

    Last week I went to London for a couple of nights with my husband.  The main reason for the trip was to see Raye at the O2, but we thought we might as well go a day early and make more of it.  We had a last minute change of plan in terms of where… Read more

  • NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE SIGNIFICANCE OF HOW YOU DEAL WITH A SMASHED PLATE

    I painted a plate a couple of weeks ago. I had a lovely time doing so with some of my fellow patients from my treatment programme. It had been a ‘mindful’ social get together where we painted a pottery item of our choice whilst chatting and incorporating our ‘prescribed’ morning snack and drink.  I chose… Read more

  • SIT

    How do you think your dog feels when you tell him to sit?  My dog let’s out little whimpers, looking up with eyes wide, body tense and twitching at any sense of movement from me.  I’m guessing he feels pretty uncomfortable.  But he sits with the discomfort, knowing that something good will result. We put… Read more

  • GLIMMERS

    Recovery is a gradual and subtle process.  You don’t wake up one morning and feel better.  In the early days you can’t imagine ever feeling any different and even several weeks in, you perhaps even feel worse at times; you’re eating what feel like enormous amounts of food whilst your brain is screaming at you… Read more

  • CAN I BE TOTALLY HONEST?

    Honestly sits top of my key values.  I knew this already having explored values during previous psychological therapy.  I have further reflected on my key values recently as part of thinking about identity and how my values form part of who I am.   There was no question then that I would be completely open with… Read more