Whangarei woman hoping to share eating disorder story in crowdfunded book

Alesha Standing is sharing her story in a book a former Northlander is trying to crowdfund. Photo/John Stone

Alesha Standing remembers hiding 20 cent coins in her long plaited hair to make the weight she needed to get off bed rest.

The Whangarei woman was 15 years old and living in an inpatient therapeutic community in Dunedin, battling anorexia.

Now more than 20 years on, the 40-year-old mother of two is hoping to share her story in a book about women from all over New Zealand who have made it through some form of trauma.

Mrs Standing never made herself sick but used to avoid eating and "exercised all through the night".

"I got a bit of a high off losing weight. Motivation and triumph is quite a high drive."

At her smallest, she got down to 33kg.

She spent nine months undergoing therapy and counselling before returning home to complete her final year at Whangarei Girls' High School.

Standing said she continued counselling and support for quite a while. She still enjoys exercise but now has balance in her life.

Standing wants to give other people hope and show that people with eating disorders can recover.

"Somebody else might think 'that sounds like me, I could get some help.' You always think you're the only one."

The book, which will be called Beautifully Scarred, is being crowdfunded by Charmaine Marinkovich, a photographer who is based in Tauranga but grew up in Dargaville.

The idea for the book came from the women she photographs who often share their stories with her during the shoot.

"Who else out there has an incredible story, who has turned their life around?" she thought.

She put a post on Facebook to see who was interested in being in the book, then sent out a questionnaire to get initial details of the stories. Responses came from women who had suffered child abuse, domestic violence, illness, accidents, depression, eating disorders and more.

Marinkovich has also overcome her own adversity - she was a teen mum who found herself in an "unsafe" relationship and, as a result, suffered really bad anxiety and low self esteem.

She hopes the book will share hope and empower women.

"A lot of people will be able to relate to it."

She hopes to have the book finished by the end of the year after travelling to talk to and photograph up to 40 women, including two Northlanders.

Marinkovich has started a PledgeMe account to raise the $85,000 needed to publish the book and print 3000 copies.

To donate go to https://www.pledgeme.co.nz/projects/5579-beautifully-scarred-a-book-of-hope