Celia Imrie on Teenage Anorexia: A "Horrible Time" of Treatment
Celia Imrie on Teenage Anorexia: A "Horrible Time" of Treatment
Beloved actress Celia Imrie bravely shares her challenging teenage battle with anorexia, controversial treatment, and the resilience that shaped her path. An inspiring read.
Veteran actress Celia Imrie, known for her roles and recent appearance on "Celebrity Traitors," has candidly spoken about her harrowing experience with anorexia during her early teenage years, describing the treatment as a "horrible time."
At just 14, Imrie developed the eating disorder after facing rejection from the prestigious Royal Ballet School.
She was subsequently admitted to St Thomas' Hospital in Lambeth, where she received treatment from the controversial psychiatrist William Sargant.
Sargant's methods, which included electroconvulsive therapy and heavy use of antipsychotic and sedative drugs, were later detailed in Jon Stock's book, "The Sleep Room: A Very British Medical Scandal."
Recalling her time there, Imrie told Saga magazine, "I don't know to this day whether I had a spell in The Sleep Room or not, but I was in that ward and I remember the smell of the room. The smell of sleep. I can't describe it.
I mean, it was a horrible time." She vividly remembers a turning point, waking up one day with a fierce determination: "I have to get myself out of here."
A pivotal moment came when a nurse challenged her, suggesting she was occupying a bed that a "really sick child" needed. Imrie credits this stark remark as a powerful catalyst for her recovery, calling it a "firework" that ignited her will to get better. "That was the best thing she could have said to me," she reflected.
Beyond her teenage struggles, Imrie also touched upon the sexism she encountered as a young actress in the 1970s and her more recent health battles. She shared that she no longer flies after suffering two pulmonary embolisms, which led to a period of intense mental health struggle. However, a trip to Nice, France, proved transformative.
"I liken my life to a game of snakes and ladders," she mused.
It's wonderful to go up the ladders, but there are snakes around the place... I was on a snake at the time.
She credited the beauty of Nice for helping her recover, stating, "The paradise of Nice did save my life actually." Imrie firmly believes in self-empowerment, adding, "I do believe that with these sort of things, you are the one who can get yourself out of it."
