'My anorexia struggle inspired book to help others'

Grace Roy opens up about her four-year struggle with anorexia in the book

A teenager who struggled for four years with anorexia has told how her experiences inspired her to write a book she hopes will help others "feel less alone".

Grace Roy penned an An Unconventional Mind while receiving treatment in hospital for the condition.

The 18-year-old, from Goosnargh in Lancashire, said she wanted to write something that would "comfort" anyone facing similar challenges.

Yet in doing so she said she unknowingly helped herself - and found a "new motivation to get better".

The book has since been signed to a publisher and has charted in Amazon’s top mental health books and hot new releases.

Following her admission to The Priory Hospital in Cheadle earlier this year, Grace said she had "felt really lost" but that writing the book gave her "a reason to keep on waking up every day".

She added: "I just want people to feel less alone, and if I can do this in the form of a book, then that’s amazing."

In keeping with its title, the book has been styled unconventionally, featuring a range of poems, recipes, and words of advice.

The positive feedback she received had "stunned" her, said Grace, adding that hearing how it had helped others was "all she wanted".

The young author said she wanted the book to help readers find "comfort"

She said she intended the book to be soothing to readers "like a bowl of ramen" - hence the image on the cover.

She said she had always been a writer but staying in hospital left her with a lot of time on her hands, meaning she could finally get to work on something substantial.

The title mirrors the view she holds of her own mind, she said, explaining that the "eclectic" layout was designed so readers could pick it up and start it from any point they wish.

Reflecting on her last few months in hospital, Grace described the book as being "one of the only good things that’s come out of it".

The young author said that writing kept her focussed while receiving treatment and now, firmly back on the road to recovery, she has hopes of releasing a follow-up before too long.

If you are affected by any of the issues in this story, help is available via the BBC Action Line and the charity Beat, which supports people with eating disorders.

Grace now intends to write a follow-up book