If there is anything that gets me out of the house to an event, it’s books. Last year I was invited to go along to a young professionals networking event, which sounded the exact opposite of how I’d normally spend my time. However, something caught my eye on the e-invite. It was being held at Muse, one of my favourite Canberra bookstores, and there was going to be an author talk. Well, that was enough for me! I went along, and once the networking part was out of the way, Australian National University graduating student Rachael Stevens took the stage to talk about mental health, overcoming anorexia and her self-published book. After the event, she stayed back and signed copies – and of course I bought one.
“The Skeleton Diaries” is a memoir by Rachael Stevens about when she was hospitalised in 2007 at 15 years old for anorexia. The memoir begins when her mother takes her to see a counsellor who suggests she keeps a diary. At first, Rachael’s diary entries feign confusion about what’s going on, distancing herself even further from others. However, as the book progresses and Rachael’s health reaches breaking point, she is forced to acknowledge the truth: she has anorexia and her body is shutting down. Rachael is first admitted to a paediatric ward before being transferred to a youth psychiatric ward and there is placed on an unrelenting and unsympathetic treatment regime. However, while suffering outwardly from the state of her body and the treatment by hospital staff, inside Rachael begins to cultivate the tiniest flower of hope which helps her to overcome her disordered thinking.
This book is a powerful insight into disordered thinking: the disordered thinking of a person suffering from anorexia, and the disordered thinking of society around the treatment of mental health. Some of the most striking passages in this book are about Rachael’s silent cries to be treated as a person, and not have her worth determined as simply a collection of symptoms or numbers on a scale. Although only 15 when she first wrote in her diary, I was really impressed by Stevens’ clear yet compelling writing style. It is a brave thing to do to send your story out in the world, especially when you are so young, and I did feel compared to other memoirs of this nature, Stevens was rather guarded about the details of her life and the trauma and abuse she experienced. However, the focus of this story is really on anorexia and the havoc it wreaks on your mind and body.
A really important book that is a stark reminder that this country still has a long way to go when it comes to prioritising, understanding and funding mental health issues.
Tinted Edges 