Zoe’s story
My mum and dad split when I was 2 years old. Dad re-married and had my 3 amazing younger sisters who I love sooo much! Dad is always in and out of my life deciding one minute I can see my sisters then telling me I can’t. I don’t really know why because I’m not a bad person. When I was 4 years old mum had a partner, Dave, he sexually abused me until I was around 7 years old. This was the age at which my problems with anorexia started.
Nobody was aware of what was going on until secondary school, when I could no longer hide the memories. Dad had gone out of my life yet again and I felt that without my sisters I could not live anymore. I managed to tell a mentor in school about my problems and she was amazing!
Although it was one of the scariest things ever, I am so proud of myself because I realised just how long I had lived with this dirty secret which wasn’t my fault!!
When I was 13 I overdosed because I wanted to die, I felt I had nothing to live for. Me and mum didn’t get on, there was a lot of physical fights between us, and mum used to drink quite heavily. At 14, dad came back into my life, I was having regular counseling, but I felt I had no control over life and my anorexia came back along with bulimia.
I went on to do my GCSE's, even though I had to take a lot of time out of school due to ill health and I passed all of them 1b, 6c's and 1d -maths!! Which I’m re-sitting! Yesterday I had my presentation in school and I got a special award outstanding effort and achievement at keystage 4!
Now I am still in recovery for my eating disorders and I am studying 5 A-levels. I hope to become a psychologist when I’m older to help others like me because everyone has potential and no matter what barriers you are faced with, you are strong and you can go on to do well and achieve your dreams. I am living proof and I am so proud of my history because it shows how strong I really am!
