About this event
The 29th talk of the APS talks series, 'At War with Myself’, will be presented by Rachael Hollwey at 18:30 on 18 May 2023.
Rachael will share the reality of living with a mental illness, in particular with anorexia nervosa and depression to better understand what is happening inside the mind of someone suffering. She will give advice for those caring for someone suffering and a few words of advice shared from her parents, as well as shed light on a full recovery being possible for anyone.
Following this, Rachael will introduce the topic of what it is like to be diagnosed with an incurable rare disease that had been previously hidden, and how she now continues to live a good quality of life despite the lack of help and the challenges faced on a daily basis.
Agenda
18:30: Introduction
18:35: Presentation by Rachael Hollwey
19:20: Q&A
Central European Time (CET)
Speaker
Rachael Hollwey
Rachael Hollwey was born in the UK, resides in Malta which she considers her home, but lives half the year in New Zealand - her life is very different from most.
She has fought an enduring battle against severe anorexia and depression, with 5 years spent in hospital. She considers herself very lucky to be alive, but lost good friends along the way who were taken too soon by this illness. After being a part of a scientific study, she managed to fully recovery and began to live a very happy life. Until she was then diagnosed with a rare disease which is incurable and has many serious complications. The most difficult to manage is the requirement to live in warm climates, with no life stability and constantly moving between countries throughout the year.
Despite this, she tries to live the best life she possibly can with a very positive mindset, and her main life ambition is to help others to do the same. She does this by teaching private Pilates sessions and also launching the charity “Walk and Talk” to support those suffering from mental illness, as well as expanding to assist with rare disease awareness. Rachael has also written a book, “At War with My Mind”, from the diaries she kept during her mental illness, while the sequel “At War with My Body” is in progress.