From Dickens to Recovery: The Literary Journey That Helped One Woman Conquer Anorexia

At the age of 24, Laura Freeman, a young English woman grappling with anorexia, stumbled upon a vivid description of a breakfast with boiled eggs by the writer Siegfried Sassoon. The text was so evocative that it sparked a realization within her: food could be an adventure worth exploring. This revelation marked a pivotal turning point in her long and challenging journey towards recovery.

The Struggle with Anorexia

Laura Freeman was first diagnosed with anorexia at the tender age of 14. As a shy and introverted girl, she had always battled with obsessive thoughts and difficulties in communicating with her peers. When she transitioned to middle school, her focus shifted towards becoming “smaller, quieter, and more invisible.” By the age of 14, anorexia had completely consumed her life:

I was essentially forced to live a bedridden life. Recovery was slow and painful. Even after ten years, my relationship with food remained complicated. I could only eat the same foods in small portions.

At 24, Laura had made enough progress to eat, but her diet was still highly restricted and monotonous. She would often consume the same foods, such as granola bars or pasta with tomato sauce, day after day. Her fear of trying new foods was so intense that she would bring granola bars on vacation to eat in her hotel room.

The Power of Literature

Laura had always found solace in books. During her darkest times, she would escape into the worlds created by her favorite authors:

It was comforting to think that I wasn’t in my hospital room in London in February, but in Paris with Nancy Mitford.

One day, she came across a passage in Siegfried Sassoon’s “Memoirs of a Fox-Hunting Man” that described a winter breakfast of boiled eggs. Sassoon’s vivid portrayal of eggs on toast with butter and hot chocolate made Laura realize that there was a less mundane way to approach food. Inspired by this, she began to seek out other authors who wrote passionately about food.

Laura found comfort and inspiration in the works of Patrick Leigh Fermor, Laurie Lee, and Charles Dickens. Dickens, in particular, had a way of making food an integral part of his stories. One memorable passage from “The Pickwick Papers” describes a cozy scene of two friends enjoying a hot supper of pig’s feet and toasted cheese.

The Journey to Recovery

Laura’s journey to recovery was not without its challenges. The trend of “clean eating” in 2014 triggered some of her old fears and impulses. She also struggled with the societal pressure to eat only organic, diverse, and well-prepared foods:

It’s great to be able to eat good food, enjoy it, and have a diverse and interesting diet. But it’s also okay if sometimes all you can eat is sardines on toast.

Family support played a crucial role in Laura’s recovery. She also found strength in the words of T.H. White’s “The Once and Future King,” where Merlin advises his young pupil Wart to learn something new when feeling weak or sad. This advice resonated with Laura and helped her find ways to fill her mind with things other than her own misery.

A New Chapter

Today, Laura Freeman is 30 years old and has published her own book. In her memoir, she shares her story of battling anorexia and how books helped her on her path to recovery. She hopes that her book will inspire others to find happiness and love for life, despite the limitations imposed by illness.

For more information on eating disorders and recovery, you can visit the National Eating Disorders Association website.