The following is a shortened version of a review in the Australasian Journal of Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy Volume 39 issues 1&2. Review of A Dangerous Daughter by Bernadette Rosbrook (Dina Davis, Cilento, 2021) Hungry for Love and Understanding A Dangerous Daughter (2021) is Dina Davis’ semi-autobiographical account of a young teenager’s struggle with anorexia nervosa in suburban middle-class Australia in the 1950s, and of the psychoanalytic treatment […]
These ads are grossly irresponsible and should be called out every time such images are published, telling readers and viewers that happiness lies in losing weight.
From a time before Covid, when authors could hold live book launches, comes this video of the event on Darwin, filmed by my grandson Arlo Steinberg. Enjoy the nostalgia! For more videos go to Dina Davis Author on U tube at youtube.com/@DinaDavisAuthor. Since then the book has sold hundreds of copies in Australia and overseas. My greatest reward has been […]
Like many other survivors who still bear the scars of Anorexia Nervosa, I am incredibly grateful for the research into this disease showing that it has a strong genetic component. This study was the first of its kind to show that an individual’s DNA may be useful as an adjunct tool in clinical care. More specifically, if findings from genetic studies become more robust through larger sample sizes, genetic information may help us identify individuals who are at greatest risk for developing a severe or enduring illness. HERE IS THE ARTICLE FROM “EXCHANGES” SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL, JUY 2022: by Therese Johansson, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden Eating disorders arise from a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Eating disorders affect millions of people around the world, are life-disrupting, and in some cases can be life-threatening. Unfortunately, no easy test exists, like a blood test, that can tell us if someone has an eating disorder. Recent studies led by Karolinska Institutet, UNC CEED, and King’s College London compared the DNA of people with and without (typical) anorexia nervosa and identified regions in the human DNA that differ between individuals with anorexia nervosa and those without [1]. This has helped us understand the underlying biology of the disorder and has the potential to further help us identify people at risk for poor outcome. Another somewhat surprising result of these studies was that low body mass index (BMI) and anorexia nervosa share genetics, indicating that people […]
Reproduced with permission of the artist, Liz Grylls. In the current epidemic of eating disorders during Covid, popular women’s magazines have a lot to answer for. Margaret Atwood thought so too.
Have We Moved On? This article gives the lie to anorexic nervosa being a life choice adopted by aspiring models, ballet dancers, or vain women on a diet. It is anything but this.In the article following we see proof that anorexia is an illness, just like cancer or heart disease, and as such is beyond the sufferer’a control. To me and many others this news is liberating, and life-changing. Read my novel “A Dangerous Daughter” at https://www.amazon.com/Dangerous-Daughter-Dina-Davis/dp/0645175811 to learn how this disease was treated in the fifties and sixties. Do you think we’ve moved on from there? Entire Site Monitor MEMBERSTOPICSPUBLICATIONS & DATABASESSCIENCEEDUCATION & CAREERNEWS & ADVOCACYHome// Monitor on Psychology// 2016// 04// New insights on eating disorders Help us improve your experience by providing feedback on this page. FEATURE New insights on eating disorders Scientists are uncovering the faulty neurobiology behind anorexia and bulimia, debunking the myth that such eating disorders are solely driven by culture and environment. By Kirsten Weir April 2016, Vol 47, No. 4 Print version: page 36 10 min read 5 Public misunderstanding of mental health disorders is nothing new. But for eating disorders in particular, misinformation abounds. “You still read more about anorexia in the celebrity section of publications than in health sections,” says Nancy Zucker, PhD, a professor of psychology and neuroscience at Duke University. […]
Dina Davis Q&A I was recently interviewed by Rita Horanyi from the NT Writers’ Centre. Here’s what we had to say: Rita: Darwin-based author Dina Davis has published stories, articles and poems in journals and anthologies, and her debut novel, Capriccio, was shortlisted for last year’s NT Chief Minister’s Fiction Award. Her latest book, A Dangerous Daughter, draws from her own experiences to tackle the complex subject of eating disorders. NT Writers’ Centre caught up with Dina to chat about her new work. Congratulations on your new book! Tell us quickly, what’s A Dangerous Daughter all about? Dina: Basically, it’s a story of survival against all odds. Thirteen year old Ivy is suffering from an undiagnosed illness. After several unsuccessful treatments she is exiled from her family in NSW and sent to live with relatives in WA. The book details her daily struggle with an entity she calls ‘The Voice’ which won’t let her eat. Ultimately Ivy is diagnosed with anorexia nervosa, which was almost unknown in the 1950s, when the story takes place. What inspired the novel? Dina: I was inspired by two synchronistic events: the first was being invited to take part in an international study on anorexia, which proved that it is an illness with a largely genetic component. This knowledge freed me a lot from the self-blame that had plagued my life. The second was the discovery of a letter from over 50 years ago, written by the psychoanalyst who had treated me. I wanted […]
I am thrilled to have these opportunities to share my thoughts, and to promote “A Dangerous Daughter” throughout the Northern Territory. Thanks to the NT Writers’ Centre for publicising both these events. In spite of the cancellation of the NT Writers’ Festival due to Covid restrictions, I am so grateful that the Red Kangaroo Bookshop in MPARNTWE/ ALICE SPRINGS will still be hosting the launch of Dina’s new book, “A Dangerous Daughter” on Saturday 18th September at 12 noon. Tanya Heaslip, fellow author and President of the NTWriters’ Centre, will be launching Dina’s book. It is such a privilege for any author to be able to communicate live with readers in these days of lockdowns. We in the Territory have escaped the worst of the scourge of Covid – so far. It is my fervent hope that I can reach out soon to my reader and followers in the southern States, if not live, then at least online. Read about my September gigs here: Book Launches & Other Events – Alice Springs A Dangerous Daughter: book launch in Alice Springs/Mparntwe Join author Dina Davis for the Alice Springs launch of her new novel, A Dangerous Daughter (originally scheduled to take place at this year’s NT Writers Festival). To be launched by memoirist and President of the NTWC Board, Tanya Heaslip. You can also hear Dina talking about her book with Lyrella Couzens on ABC Radio here. When: Sat 18 Sep, 12pmAt: Red Kangaroo Books, Todd St Mall, Alice […]
I was moved and proud to hear this speech from a woman in public life “coming out” about her life-long and ongoing eating disorder, and the shame and blame which accompanies it. I salute her courage. Her speech resonates with the themes of my novel A Dangerous Daughter TO WATCH THE FULL VIDEO GO TO https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-09-02/celia-hammond-eating-disorder-stigma/100429028?utm_source=abc_news_web&utm_medium=content_shared&utm_campaign=abc_news_web&fbclid=IwAR3BfP9my8XAlMjJG5WXyUWutVfNqi0731yX8n1J8V9sFM02j7kY9UpmHHg Liberal MP Celia Hammond tells Parliament about her own struggle to live with anorexia for more than a decade. In an effort to fight the stigma she says is still attached to it.Ms Hammond said anorexia was a “miserable and isolating” disease, but with treatment, she has been able to manage her illness. She told Parliament that shame and stigma were holding people back from seeking a diagnosis and getting treated. HERE IS HER SPEECH IN FULL: This government has invested significant amounts of money into the treatment of and research into eating disorders, and I commend the Prime Minister, the Health Minister and the Assistant Minister for Mental Health on the efforts they are taking to challenge this cluster of diseases.But I don’t want to talk about the treatment or the research efforts tonight.I want to talk about the reality of the disease and the stigma which is, sadly, still attached to it.I can talk about the reality of eating disorders because I am someone who suffered anorexia for more than a decade of my life, complete with several recoveries and several relapses.If truth […]
This poem tells the story of my novel, ‘A Dangerous Daughter’ without the details, plot twists, and characters in the novel. I promise no Spoilers! Let me know what you think of my poem. A Dangerous Daughter She wakes with a jolt, Already late. Morning tea break. Her limbs all ache. She swings legs to the edge, Mere bones like twigs Skin stretched over, Dry as sedge. She moves from the bed, Slow and painful. Everything hurts, Her heart and her head. Smells hot buttered toast, Craves just a taste. The tiniest crumb Will seal her fate. Pulls on a skirt Her gaunt frame bent. To hide her shame, A top like a tent. She could be ninety, But is only fifteen. Her shrivelled body Mustn’t be seen. You’ve blighted our lives Daughter once dear. The devil’s got you We’re the victims here. They send her away Out of their sight So they can forget Their shame and fright. Exiled from her kin, Across the land, Girl hides her sin As best she can Aunt’s teagown strains. Over ample breasts. “Just look at the state of you, It’s wicked,” she says. “Going out like that? In the ground I will sink. You’ll frighten the neighbours. What will they think?” Girl shakes her head Runs a comb through her hair. A quick flick, no more And she’s out the door. She has a disease It has no name. It brings her […]
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Dina Davis Author 