Madeleine Barnard tells Rian about her battle with anorexia
Madeleine Barnard has been battling against anorexia nervosa since she was just 15 years old. She tells Rian about her quest to reach out to others in a similar situation and offer them help.
Eating disorders are a sensitive health issue that many women and men around the world struggle with every day. When the battle is within your own mind and body, it can be very difficult to see any hope.
Madeleine Barnard has faced this struggle since the age of 15 when she first started having body image issues. She believed there was no way to escape the bullying of the children at school, who called her 'fatty'.
Madeleine, who weighed about 80kg at the time, started skipping meals in order to lose weight. She describes feeling proud of her weight loss, seeing it as an accomplishment even while her concerned mother warned her that Madeleine could end up starving herself to death.
Madeleine is now 37 years old, and still fighting to overcome the disease. She now hopes to address the mistakes she made when dealing with her health in the past. Madeleine wants to pass important lessons about the disease on to others who may be in the same situation.
Ms Justine Smith is a psychologist whose practice in Centurion focuses on depression, anxiety, and disorders of addiction. Ms Smith works closely with patients in a space she describes as 'co-created and secure', giving them the opportunity to gain insight into themselves, grow and develop.
She spoke briefly about Madeleine's situation and spoke about how people who are struggling with an eating disorder can start seeking help and taking back control of their health.
