To begin with, not eating gave Lexi Crouch a sense of control and helped suppress emotions that felt too big to handle, she saw it as a coping strategy, not an eating disorder.
But at 16 she was admitted to hospital and diagnosed with anorexia and Lexi spent the next decade in and out specialist clinics.
When she overheard doctors talking about how she was going to die, Lexi decided she wasn't ready to give up and began to confront what was driving her illness and begin the slow process of recovery.
Lexi is now a clinical nutritionist and eating disorders recovery coach and has co-written a book with psychiatrist Dr Warren Ward called ReNourish: a complete and compassionate guide to recovery from eating disorders.
Further Information
Listen to Sarah's interview with Dr Warren Ward