I am sharing my story in the hope that others may find it relatable or helpful to their own recovery journeys.

This is my story to show you there is hope. You’re not alone.

Rose and her mum Ali share how social media impacted Rose's eating disorder, and what they want you to know while using the apps

Not wanting to settle into a 9-5, Meg decided to move to Thailand for a year and further her eating disorder recovery abroad.

Pat shares how once he opened up to his loved ones and was diagnosed as autistic, he began his road to eating disorder recovery.

Hatty shares how her 100km race for Beat all began after her eating disorder recovery.

Jaden shares how it wasn't recovery that was the hardest part of her eating disorder, but letting go of the past.

Once Nicole got her ADHD & bipolar diagnoses, everything about her eating disorder made sense - and she started her recovery

Katie shares how finding 'why' she developed an eating disorder didn't help her recover & why she chose to fundraise for Beat

Recovery can be hard, but Coco shares how taking that first step of opening up can make the positive first step.

Korin credits her mum for helping her reach out for bulimia support - and to continue to recover from her eating disorder.

Eating disorder treatment buildings can themselves support recovery, as Sanjana's research and lived experience shows.

Mackenzie shares how she is now understanding her true self, after being in 'survival' mode for so long.

Now fully recovered, M reflects on how she chose to save the rest of her life from anorexia.

Whatever this Christmas season is like for you, I want to give you hope for the Christmas future. I can't tell you that recovery is linear, or that five years on I don't still have wobbles and moments of doubt. But I can say that all of my efforts, all of the hard work and fear that has gone into my recovery has been worth it.

In the run-up to Christmas, there is a lot to juggle. The gifts we need to buy, the plans we have to make to see loved ones, how we might manage disruptions to our routine - all of these things can be difficult to handle at once.

I imagine my journey as a Beat volunteer started similarly to many of my colleagues – having the difficult and unfortunate experience of encountering an eating disorder up close, in my case from a carer's perspective.

I have been a digital volunteer for Beat for just over six months now and I can honestly say it is one of the most amazing things that I have ever done.

We talked to our Helpline Manager, Sam, about some of the common questions her team gets around this time of year, and her insights and tips for dealing with the challenges of Christmas.

University – a time full of new experiences, new friends, new skills and also new challenges. My first year at university ended up being the most challenging and unpredictable year of my life.