“I found I wanted to stop time. If I could stay the same size as when my Mum was alive I could be closer to her. So I ended up restricting my food intake not because I wanted to be skinny but because I wanted to feel small and safe.”
Mallary developed anorexia after the loss of her Mum. Some misguided nutritional education at school helped fuel her symptoms and OCD; a time consuming jumping habit. Young Mallary was determined to be perfect.
Many years later when Mallary was teaching journalists how to write restorative narratives and include the forgotten “messy middle/ middle place” she had a lightbulb moment.
What if she explored her own “middle place?” Would this put the brakes on her quest for perfection and open the space up with her ongoing recovery? The answer can be found in Mallary’s book: SLIP: Life In The Middle Of Eating Disorder Recovery.
I recorded this podcast with Mallary the morning after the launch of her debut book SLIP: Life In The Middle of Eating Disorder Recovery.
What a pro!
I really enjoyed our chat. It was full of insightful and lived experience wisdom.
Mallary made me think about my own stuff, which is always a plus. Enjoy.
EPISODE TIMESTAMPS:
00:27 - Mallary's Book and Its Themes
01:42 - Mallary's Relationship with Food
02:22 - Struggles with Anorexia
02:50 - Impact of Mother's Death
04:02 - Complications of Eating Disorders
08:56 - Mallary's Teenage Years
11:07 - College Challenges and Binge Eating
18:47 - The Concept of the Middle Place
26:44 - Struggles and Progress in Recovery
32:29 - Mallory's Book, Slip
33:06 - Motherhood and Recovery Challenges
35:11 - Obsessive Behaviours Postpartum
36:38 - Research and Awareness on Eating Disorders
If you enjoyed this episode, please let us know your thoughts on Instagram @lovethisfoodthing and consider leaving an honest review and rating for the show - we’d be extremely grateful.
Podden och tillhörande omslagsbild på den här sidan tillhör
Jemma Richards. Innehållet i podden är skapat av Jemma Richards och inte av,
eller tillsammans med, Poddtoppen.