I spoke last night at the new Perth Children’s Hospital for Body Awareness and Eating Disorder Awareness Week.

I wanted to share with you my talk for the night.

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Hi my name is Tracey and I am going to talk tonight about what recovery is actually like for me now.

I had an eating disorder for a long time and have now I have been recovered for over 10 years now. I am never going back.

I have this saying that today is a gift, it was a day that I didn’t think that I would have and I embrace every moment.

I am passionate about giving back and sharing my journey.

Tonight, I wanted to share what recovery for me is like. This is my journey and what I have learnt along the way.

 

Recovery for me was about finding my purpose, it is about rediscovering who I am- Tracey without the control and thoughts of the eating disorder consuming me and keeping my world small.

I have great support of amazing friends who were there for me.

 

It is about embracing the new, I had to learn to explore new ways of doing things.  It was doing things totally different then what I was used to. I had to step out of my comfort zone.

I had one year where I would just say yes to new experiences. A friend of mine challenged me. Just to say yes and to see what happened.

Which was a little bit aaagh but it was so important in expanding my world and experiences.

Recovery for me was -discovering my creativity and that was such an important part in my recovery.

Journaling helped me so much, I love to journal.

Being creative helped me so much. I love writing.  I can now call myself a blogger, I have a blog,I write about my journey, I write about encouraging women.  I have written for some publications in America, I just submitted an article and it was accepted, I am a singer/songwriter and I am passionate about making a difference.

I work as a primary school chaplain for nearly 7 years and I love what I get to do. Every day is an adventure. My days are so varied and my life now is so completely different to the woman I was who was stuck in an eating disorder.

I laugh, I have a very distinct laugh and I make no apology, there was a time where the eating disorder stole my joy. I laugh and I have learnt to laugh at myself.

My role as a primary school Chaplain has seen me-

• Speak at assemblies
• I run a girls’ group for years 4 to 6 where we look at friendships, identity, self-esteem.
• I have run a Disco, never run a disco before.
• I have a Drumbeat group.
• I have gone on camps where I have gone abseiling, rock climbing and orienteering.
• I am there for the whole school community. Love community.

I am still learning that my life has meaning, my life has purpose.

I am a work in progress, I love that cause it just allows us to rest in it.

She designed a life that she loved.

I want to leave you with these words tonight you are worthy, valued and loved. Yes, you are.

Thank you