Unrestricted: How I Stepped Off the Tightrope, Learned to Say No, and Silenced Anorexia

by Dawn Brockett, Emily Parker (Epilogue), Ekaterina Malievskaia (Contributor)

In Unrestricted, Dawn Brockett challenges the pervasive belief that anorexia is compelled by a desire to control. Having battled and beaten severe restrictive anorexia herself, she proposes that anorexia is triggered by a lack of the space a young woman needs to fully individuate—to become who she chooses to be without being controlled by others. Given how long treatment paradigms have held firm to this belief about control—and the limited progress we’ve made in treating anorexia, the deadliest of all mental health disorders—she issues a call to action to change the way anorexia and anorectics are viewed and treated through the lens of her own successful battle against the disorder. The anorectic is not compelled by a desire to control the world or to be thin. She is compelled to disappear, shrinking to the space that she feels she is allowed to take up in her life, the size of which is dictated by others’ demands and expectations. At once heart-wrenching, heartwarming, and hopeful, this is the story of how one woman stopped disappearing, started listening to her own voice, and finally claimed her rightful place in the world.

264 pages, Paperback

Published March 7, 2023

Reviews

[Sheila · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing, powerful, candid, courageous. All I can say is read it.

[Catherine Buergel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t give out 5 star reviews very often. There are a lot of books I’ve enjoyed immensely that I still give 4 stars because, to me, there is a quality to the 5 star book that few books really achieve.

Dawn’s story barreled into that tipping point for me and left me so full of emotion and self reflection that I know I will be considering her words for quite some time.

Unrestricted is beautifully written, heart wrenching, inspiring, and yet still somehow relatable. I read this book in one sitting, completely unable to put it down. Her story is both unique yet extremely familiar. Let me try to explain what i mean by that. The details of her life, her journey and her accomplishments are uniquely her own; I have never met someone who set off to become a neurosurgeon who then found a path as an MMA fighter, who later studied in Paris, and became a professional cook. Her life experiences, accomplishments, and aspirations are truly impressive and utterly inspiring to read about. She makes me want to get out of my home office and live, travel, cook, eat with strangers, try new things - she’s brought to life a desire in me to not waste another year on my couch watching tv in my free time, but to go out and pursue and enjoy life.

Her writing is poetic, with just enough gritty authenticity that it doesn’t feel pretentious. Her voice is refreshingly elevated and thought provoking, while remaining accessible and grounded. She can apply lessons from great literary figures, from Plato to Vonnegut, and then add a well positioned F bomb to the effect that you feel like you’re catching up with an old friend over a bottle of wine.

The parts if her story that feel so relatable are the struggles with maintaining relationships and boundaries with narcissists, feeling like your life is being controlled by those around, the impact that misogyny and patriarchal religions have had on a lot of our lives (definitely mine), the feeling that you need to change how you take up space to appease those around you, and chase perfection in an attempt to feel self worth or engage in self destructive behavior when you feel you’re worth nothing at all - all of this has been in my life from a young age, and it was so invigorating to read this story and go on this ride with someone else who has raged and cried and embarked on the journey of self love, discovery and healing.

Dawn has a kind heart and a powerful voice and this book made me feel like maybe I can have a powerful voice too.

Add this book to the top of your TBR list, I promise you’ll find something in there that not only speaks to you, but may breathe some life into some slumbering part of your soul.

[Bibliophillic1997 · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Unrestricted" by Dawn Brockett is a powerful and thought-provoking exploration of anorexia, challenging the conventional understanding that it stems from a desire for control. Drawing from her own experience of overcoming severe restrictive anorexia, Brockett introduces a novel perspective: that anorexia arises from a lack of space for young women to develop their individuality without external constraints. This groundbreaking viewpoint challenges long-held treatment paradigms, shedding light on the limited progress made in treating this life-threatening mental health disorder. Brockett's personal triumph over anorexia becomes a call to action, advocating for a shift in how anorexia and those affected by it are perceived and treated.

The book delves into the emotional journey of an anorectic, exploring their compulsion to shrink and disappear rather than merely seeking control or thinness. Brockett highlights how societal demands and expectations dictate the space these individuals feel entitled to occupy in their lives. The narrative is a moving blend of heart-wrenching struggles, heartwarming victories, and hopeful transformation. By sharing her own experience, Brockett dismantles common misconceptions about anorexia and offers a beacon of hope for those struggling with similar challenges.

In "Unrestricted," Dawn Brockett's courageous account serves as an inspiration for readers to embrace their authentic selves and reclaim their place in the world. This book defies traditional categorizations and offers a fresh perspective on anorexia, encouraging empathy, understanding, and a reevaluation of prevailing treatment approaches. As Brockett's story unfolds, readers are invited to reconsider their perceptions of anorexia, mental health, and the importance of allowing individuals to fully individuate.

[Kathryn Atkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book reveals the slippery slope challenging anyone with a disorder or an addiction. But it reveals much more. Dawn Brockett fights for her life, making us cringe as we learn how genuinely accomplished and beautiful (yes, I've met her) she is, but for years, unable to overcome the demons that defined her affliction.

How did this happen? We ask. "Why not you?" "Why not me?" Or maybe it IS you or me. If so, then we really need to read this deeply personal, unfailingly raw journey toward slow, almost-suicides. What dragged her down, up, down again...and finally, out of danger?

Dawn's saga is one of empowerment and enlightenment. She shows anorexia nervosa to be woefully mismanaged at best. Considering the disconcerting subject matter, this book is delightfully well-written and a must-read for women who succumb to what Dawn calls "the predatory monster, the hunter, the voice..." that is the anorectic mind. She prevails. And for that, we are lucky. For all the horror along the way, a gentle softness salves our souls as we close this lovely book.

[Paige Altrogge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dawn’s perspectives, life experiences, and vulnerability invite you in to live in her world and understand the absolute complexities of anorexia nervosa. Her understanding of just how critically important it is that we give this illness space, time, money, and resources to solve is going to change the world. Dawn balances sharing her deeply personal story with challenging the system issues around treatment for eating disorders. I can’t wait to see how Dawn will change the world.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Powerful and courageous memoir about authors growth as a person with the demon of an eating disorder hanging over her life. Echoes of Tara Westover’s Educated, given author’s escape from abusive father and religious household.