How Longridge teen Grace Roy is using her four year battle with anorexia to help others

Grace, now 18, has spent the year in and out of hospitals and the last six months in the Priory Hospital Cheadle Royal being treated for anorexia.

Refreshingly honest, Grace openly admits: "I struggled with my mental health when I was little. My mum had cancer but now she is fine and my dad lost his job. Rather than having to speak up about how I was feeling it was easier to control it physically. This began a vicious cycle for me of getting myself back in a good mindset only for something to ‘trigger’ me into relapsing again.

“After last summer I started deteriorating and was admitted to hospital. There was a point I was very close to not being here. My potassium levels were very low and I was at risk of having a heart attack.”

Grace – a former Longridge High School pupil, used her time being treated as a platform to help others who may be struggling and are afraid to speak out by writing a book.

The book entitled ‘An Unconventional Mind’,- which is all of Grace’s thoughts laid bare, was picked up by her writer dad David’s publishers Hobart Books and is now on sale to buy.

Described as a 'hug in a book', the aim is to reassure the reader, to give them strength and perhaps to change their perception of whatever situation they may have found themselves in. It has many aspects to it including healthy recipes, advice, inspiring quotations, a short story, poetry, puzzles and even a colouring page.

She added: “The idea for the book stemmed from needing an outlet as I wasn’t seeing people as much so I started jotting down bits and bobs and then the idea came to me for a self help book. It took me three months to write and the title is how I view myself – it’s basically myself for readers.”

While taking each day as it comes, Grace hopes to be let home for Christmas to spend time with her family and has even started thinking about a follow up book.

"I have so many ideas flying around in my head so watch this space.”

An Unconventional Mind is available to purchase from Amazon on paperback for £8.99 or on Kindle priced £2.99.