Hope Virgo writes so openly about her own experience with the eating disorder Anorexia Nervosa. It is truly eye opening about certain aspects of the condition that are not often talked about so candidly particularly the competitive nature of anorexia and how it pretends to be your friend but when it really isn’t.
The inclusion of her mother’s perspective of Hope’s condition, how she felt about missing the signs and how she dealt with her other children and the breakdown of her relationship with Hope’s dad. This is important because mental health conditions are tricky and difficult, and Hope was able to hide it from her mum.
Hope also discusses the nature of relapse in mental health which is always difficult for people to understand even if you have been there. Whilst Hope can consider herself in control most of the time – she still faces some challenges with the foods that she eats. She discusses how she dealt with that relapse and how the help was not available despite seeking it which is devastating. During this time her mum is there supporting Hope and it is wonderful that Hope is continuing to talk about Anorexia.
For the Full Review: