Book review: Unsinkable, by Emily Noren
An insight into eating disorders
This week is Eating Disorder Awareness week (27th Feb – 5th March 2017). So I wanted to learn a bit more about these terrible mental health conditions, which affect over 725,000 people in the UK. Anyone can develop an eating disorder, regardless of their age, gender or cultural background. They are often very misunderstood, and sufferers often do not ask for help until things have got quite extreme. Eating disorders claim more lives than any other mental illness, however the good news is that people can and do recover.
And so I picked up ‘Unsinkable’ by Emily Noren, which is a first-hand account of the author’s eating disorders, culminating in her inspiring recovery.
With excerpts from her journal originating from the depths of her darkest times, you get a powerful and moving insight into what can otherwise be very secretive behaviours. Emily conveys the complexities and conflicts she experienced within her anorexia and bulimia. Of course everyone’s experience of these conditions is unique, but I expect her story will chime with many others who have encountered them. While most people do not develop eating disorders, many of us can relate to some aspect of her experiences. These included low self-esteem, loneliness and isolation, and addictive, destructive behaviours.
Floating helped Emily
Emily tried a whole range of treatments for her conditions, some more willingly than others. When a friend suggested she tried floating, she had never heard of it. She was understandably unsure what it was and how it could help. It turned out that the escape Emily found in floating was just what she needed to start her on the path to recovery.
Emily’s brave step in speaking out about such personal experiences will offer something for for fellow sufferers to relate to. For families and friends of people going through this type of struggle, her writing may give some insights and hope.
If you have read this far, I strongly encourage you to find out more about Emily Noren and her inspiring story.
Watch Emily talk about her experiences in this 13 minute video:
Read Emily’s book
Get your own copy of ‘Unsinkable’ in the float centre.
If you know someone affected by these issues, you can access lots of useful resources and support on the Beat website.
Thank you Emily for sharing your story!
