Alongside a mindset overhaul I began practicing meditation for ten minutes a day and keeping a regular work out routine, even if I can only squeeze in 15 minutes of yoga before I leave for work. They are small steps that help me stay on a level – although I can admit I am still a far cry from feeling totally balanced. Sertraline might be a daily crutch – and one that I can one day hopefully rid myself of – but, in the mean time, a very supportive group of friends and my therapist are also helping me to turn things around. The best advice my therapist has given me lately is to “start with simple things such as being able to accept compliments by saying 'thank you'". She reminded me that I am not my diagnosis; “You are actually a person and beginning to distinguish between the two is very important”.

Another great piece of advice my therapist gave me, was to surround myself with positive people. Throughout my university years, I lived in a flat share with three girls I counted as best friends. As soon as one girl left the room it became routine to talk about her; “She’s so ugly, she’s really fat, and why is she wearing that dress?” After four years in this environment my insecurities were at a peak and I started to rely on bulimia to get myself through months of living in such a hostile environment. I didn’t want to burden other friends with the endless tears and stories, mainly because I didn’t want to play the victim or admit how bad the situation really was. Instead, I shrunk into myself and became more and more reclusive, isolating myself in my room.

Since then, I have learned to cut out the bad people in my life and focus on building positive relationships with those who love me – good day or bad. It is very true that having positive people around you and people who understand what you're going through is imperative and helps you create a sense of self-worth and value.