The Girl Who Made Herself Sick

Hello and good day to you. My name is Ava and, to put it bluntly, I have a weird obsession with eating myself into a stupor and then deliberately making myself throw up afterwards. I know, pretty screwy, huh? But I'm not who you think I am. Get rid of all illusions of a crack head with fake tits and bleach blonde hair extensions, or a skinny, depressed girl with more issues than Vogue. Because on the outside I'm just your standard 20-something living her best life. I've got family and friends, a nice house, I work my dream job. I've got everything I ever wanted. So here's the multi-million dollar question...

...why the heck would I risk my life everyday, just for the sake of scoffing a couple of packets of Jaffa cakes everyday?

Was it growing up around obese people that did it? Being bullied in school? A phase that bordered on sex addiction? Or was it my natural love and devotion of sausage rolls that pushed me over the edge?

Hm, it sure is a humdinger.

In this book I share anecdotes all about school and my childhood; my seriously messed-up relationship with food and diets; times I struggled with alcohol, drugs and boys; how I became a teenage mother (pfft, though I'm sure you can probably guess how THAT happened); and how I started manifesting bulimic behaviours from as young as eleven and eventually it developed into full-blown code beige near enough everyday.

My story is a heartbreaking and emotional one, but it's also pretty darn funny on account of my brutally honest approach to telling you about exactly what it's like to have an eating disorder. Spoiler alert: it certainly ain't pretty. Doesn't smell too hot either.

This story is also about how I went from the lowest of the lowest of lows to where I am today. My hope is that it will make you laugh, cry and will inspire anyone who suffers with an eating disorder to seek help and to know that you are not alone.

Described as an "insightful and spectacular" read, The Girl Who Made Herself Sick is a humorous, light-hearted memoir of how bulimia develops and impacts the life of ordinary individuals, and touches on issues such as addiction, bullying, teenage pregnancy and the impact of societal perspectives of the female body.

Warning: Not suitable for under 18s.