On/around the 25th March i will be shaving my head for charity. I have been on and off about this for a whole year now so have decided i should just do it...as it will grow back (i hope.)

I have started two just giving pages, one designated to teenage cancer trust, and one for beat. This is my beat page.

When she was 19, my sister suffered extensively with both anorexia and bulimia that both stemmed from depression and anxiety. Lydia was beautiful, bubbly and funny but when she became ill the disease not only took over her body but her spirit and personality. She was told that she was going to die and this is around the time she managed to turn things around. Eating disorders are still remarkable misunderstood so its important that people learn that, like any mental health issue, they are a disease.

Having experienced eating disorders from the point of view of a family member/loved one I can honestly say that my sister is a true role model. Not only has she recovered from this cruel disease and the other hurdles that came with it but she has become a stronger and more confident woman - she also had the true bravery and grit to write the most honest, heartbreaking but equally inspiring book about her experiences with depression, anxiety, eating disorders and suicidal tendencies. (Available on amazon: Raw: The Diary of an Anorexic.) - Not everyone is this lucky though. 

Lydia is not the only person i have seen struggle with this disease. Its so heartbreaking to see someone you love deteriorate to such an extent and through no true fault of their own.
Beat is the UK's eating disorder charity. Beat supports anyone with an eating disorder, their friends and family, as well as professionals working with or worried about an individual in their care. These serious mental illnesses include anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder. 725,000 people in the UK have a diagnosed eating disorder. They affect people of all ages and backgrounds, and up to one in four sufferers are male. Eating disorders cost the UK's economy £16.8 billion each year.

- I have wanted to raise money for this cause for some time now and i hope it can get some of the recognition it deserves. 

If you have someone in your life struggling with something similar, all the advice I can give is to love them unconditionally, and to keep showing them this no matter how dark things seem - be there light. If you are suffering yourself, use the love around you to pull yourself out of the darkness as trust me, it is possible! And if you haven't experienced or known of anyone struggling, please just remember to be kind and empathetic to one another. You never know what another person is dealing with in there life. Our actions effect one another constantly so try and make sure that yours are always positive.