Blooming: a journey to body-acceptance

WellBeing reader Jemima Holland shares her journey from shattering body dysmorphia to blossoming self-acceptance. An honest and emotionally wrenching read, this is the story of one woman’s travels to reality’s darker side — and her decision to find the way back on her own terms.

Words JEMIMA HOLLAND

Those who have experienced body dysmorphia or disordered eating may relate to feeling utterly consumed to fix what you believe to be wrong with yourself. You may have developed hypervigilance too, constantly monitoring your reflection to seek out any perceivable imperfection. You might constantly be hyper-aware of threats which could limit your adherence to new diets and regimes. And trapped in a self-centred world, you may believe others must judge you just as you judge yourself: a defective, unacceptable, imperfect creature. This all-consuming way of being is like a leech in all areas of your life, all the while casting a dark cloud over your world. My eating disorder began at the age of nine, following a period of abuse and religious shaming. I unintentionally began to starve myself by throwing away…

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WellBeing (Digital) - 1 Issue, Issue 204

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