A Dundee girl who beat an eating disorder says she would not wish her experience on anyone.
As part of Eating Disorder Awareness Week, Emma Lindsay came forward to discuss her experiences with anorexia.
She attended Grove Academy in Broughty Ferry and suffered with anorexia for almost eight years, since the age of 10.
She now works as an ambassador for Scottish charity Beat and studies in Aberdeen.
She said of her disorder: “I wouldn’t wish it on anyone, not even the worst of people, because it can destroy you. It pushes you away and isolates you.
“It’s so important to me that I don’t want anyone else to have to go through what I did. I realised this when I was recovering and knew that I wanted to do everything I could to try and help people in similar situations.
“Recovery can be a really long process, and it can take years. But at the end of it, it’s incredible to see how many obstacles you have overcome.
“People with eating disorders need a strong support network and, even though I had that, I still almost lost everyone that meant anything to me.”
Emma says silence around eating disorders can be more damaging than speaking about it.
She said: “Some people can’t speak about it and that can lead to stigma. A lot of other people say they understand but they don’t fully get it.
“With me, speaking about what I went through was never a secret. I never hid anything I was more open than many people about it.
“The thing people don’t realise is that it’s like battling with yourself. You get a voice in your head that gives you constant negativity and it takes a long, long time to realise that that voice is not you, it’s the eating disorder.
“You keep thinking you’re not worth anything, fighting these negative comments from within yourself, constantly battling and arguing with yourself. It’s horrible.”
Miss Lindsay talked about the causes of her illness, saying: “I was a perfectionist. I hated missing school. I would walk and walk and restrict my eating.
“It got so extreme there used to be people at school who would stop me walking and stop me going up stairs to try to keep my energy expenditure as low as possible.
“My eating disorder has changed my life, but I don’t regret it nor am I ashamed of it.
“Externally, and mentally, I feel so much better but I know that I will never be 100% OK. Internally, my eating disorder has caused a lifetime of damage.
“I have osteoporosis, low blood pressure, poor circulation and a weak heart as a result, things that will continue to affect me for the rest of my life.”
For more help and advice, visit www.b-eat.co.uk.