My name is Jessica Mell, a woman 21 years of age that is full of life, happiness and aspirations. Sadly, these are personality traits that were more recently disguised with weakness, isolation and despair. This was due to a slow introduction of unwanted triggers and circumstances, leading to a situation where I found myself tightened under the gruelling grasp of an eating disorder. I didn’t ask for Anorexia to make an appearance in my life, in fact up until January 2015 when the diagnosis was made, I was not really aware of what this mental illness was.
I am currently rebuilding my life after engaging in several eating disorder treatment programmes over the past year. Through writing this blog I am going to encourage my own recovery as well as showing others that with self belief and motivation life does improve! I believe that positivity can come out of every negative; I want to explain my entire story, but more importantly, place emphasis on the optimism that can be nurtured whilst facing every day challenges. I have become very passionate about making a difference in this area of mental health, and I want to use this blog to raise awareness about the illness, inform people about the severity of an eating disorder, and consequently encouraging people to talk, ask questions and gain a better understanding.
Unfortunately, due to the fact that I have chosen to write this blog, I am aware that I may adopt the label of ‘The Girl with Anorexia’ and this is something that I absolutely do not want to be branded as. Yes, I have had lived experience of an eating disorder, but I hope that people will notice this blog and appreciate that I am now using my personal experiences in an attempt to give informative posts that will enlighten and engage all audiences.
