Dave Rich

Telling the story of what happened in my last years at the BBC has meant being honest about something I have found even harder to talk about. After I raised a grievance about antisemitism, I was gradually isolated and denied more and more of the job I loved so much. The loneliness of that took a serious toll on my mental health. I became ill with anorexia, a recurrence of an illness I had when I was younger, but this time it came back with a vengeance. Each time I thought I was taking a step or two forward, something would happen at work that knocked me back. I was ashamed, and at times I am not sure I was believed. I kept trying to explain that I was struggling. More than once I was told I wasn’t the only one. I felt like colleagues thought I was making it up. Since February last year I have been admitted to hospital four times. The most recent admission, and I hope the last, was for three months over the summer. The NHS staff on that ward saved me. I’m sharing this because if I was going to tell my story honestly, I had to tell all of it. Shame keeps people silent. Anorexia is an illness, not a choice and not a weakness, and no one who is this unwell should have to prove it. Swipe for some of what I was told along the way. @HadleyFreeman has also struggled with anorexia, and in her brilliant piece in The Sunday Times she writes about our shared experience. Thank you, Hadley. If you are struggling, or worried about someone, @beatedsupport helpline is free on 0808 801 0677. thetimes.com/article/ad6378d… #Anorexia #EatingDisorders #EatingDisorderRecovery #MentalHealth #mentalhealthatwork