BRITTANY'S SECRET BATTLE 'I EXERCISED FIVE HOURS A DAY'

After recovering from anorexia, this Wellington warrior is  fighting diet culture and the stigma surrounding mental illness

- Hayley Barnett.

Psychology graduate Brittany Farrant-Smith knows what it's like to feel alone in a world that doesn't understand her.

As a fit, young woman who had played semi-professional football and studied as an honours student, she looked to be thriving. But through it all, Brittany was secretly suffering a debilitating eating disorder - anorexia athletica.

Working through tough times, the now-cheerful 25-year-old is guiding other sufferers through their own journeys with her book Living Full: A Guide To Overcoming Your Eating Disorder.

Full of wisdom, wellness exercises and survivors' inspiring stories, it's something Brittany wishes she had to turn to in her darkest days.

At her worst, Brittany was 19 and studying psychology. She managed to get through her undergraduate degree but stopped in her honours year when everything became too much. Not only had her disorder taken hold, but she was also dealing with the grief of losing two close friends to suicide.

"It all became too much and I ended up pulling out of life as I knew it," says Brittany.

Looking back, it was around the age of 15 that she remembers those first feelings of inadequacy rising up. It was also then that she lost her first friend. Dealing with the loss, as well as struggling with anxiety, stress began to take its toll.

"There's a lot of pressure on you at that age," she explains. "You're not only trying to find your own identity, but you've also got so many pressures on you, like people's expectations. That's a hard time."