Little Mix star Jade Thirlwall has previously opened up about her battles with anorexia, but in her contribution to upcoming book, The Female Lead: We Rise By Lifting Others, the artist detailed how, and who, helped her overcome her eating disorder.
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According to an extract obtained by the MailOnline, her recovery was helped massively by her "best friend" at school, Holly Robinson.
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"During my secondary years, there was a lot of bullying," Jade writes. "My grandad passed away and I developed an eating disorder.
"I was given a school 'buddy', someone who would keep an eye on me and help me – it was through them that I met my best friend Holly. We've been inseparable since and live together now in London."
In the book, Jade recalls the memories she has from this time of her childhood.
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© Photo: InstagramJade Thirlwall and best friend Holly Robinson
"My leavers' book from secondary school holds lovely memories," she says. "I live with my best friend from school now, and the first page is from her. There are nice pictures and she talks about how far I've come since I was anorexic. There are messages from friends saying, 'I hope you win X Factor' and from teachers and a school counsellor I used to talk to."
She goes on to discuss her experience with racism. "Every page is a lesson, as there are even messages with racial undertones from students who must have been my friends," she says. "There was a running joke that I was Arab, which I think I blocked out. It is good for me to remember that I went along with this stuff out of fear of not fitting in. It's a reminder to stand up for myself and to challenge those attitudes and beliefs."
Elsewhere in the book, Jade details her boyfriend Jordan Stephens' role in her mental health journey. "He taught me a technique called future journaling," Jade explains. "Where you write what you see for the future, all positive things, your ideals. I wrote my thoughts every night before bed and then started writing poetry and I felt this weight lifting."
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