Camille McClymont is a 4th generation stockwoman, who has spent most of her life living and working on Kimberley cattle stations. She is also something of an Instagram sensation, with nearly 40,000 followers keeping tabs on the stunning outback images and rural life stories she regularly shares. Having grown up on her family’s Kalyeeda Station, located 4 hours east of Broome in the West Kimberly, Camille and her husband Lachlan – along with their young son, Jack - now manage a nearby property, running a herd of around 16,000 cattle. The stunning images and videos that Camille shares with her Instagram followers each week, perfectly capture the epic landscapes, red dust sunsets and daily farm chores of her idyllic, remote station life.
But in this heart-felt episode #137 of the Flying Doctor Podcast, Camille shares her memories of a time in her life when the wide-open outback life did not bring her joy. As a teenager, facing time away from her family's farm at boarding school and grappling with her brother's illness, she became trapped in a cycle of dieting, depression and body dysmorphia. Like so many other young Australians who - often in secret - battle eating disorders that can quickly overwhelm their lives, Camilla faced a terrifying battle with Anorexia Nervosa. And like so many people suffering from eating disorders, she found herself caught in a cycle of hospital admissions, discharges, relapses, and re-admissions. In-between admissions, when she was back at Kalyeeda Station, her illness even took away the pleasures of country life. Doctors told her that her due to her brittle bones, horse riding was too risky. When she was eventually airlifted by the RFDS in a critical condition, Camille’s starved heart and body was literally close to failing completely.
As Camille so courageously explains in this remarkable Flying Doctor Podcast episode, secrecy and shame are two of the leading reasons why eating disorder can often go untreated. But the alarming statistics around this debilitating condition cannot be ignored. According to Australia’s Butterfly Foundation, eating disorders are one of the deadliest but least understood mental illnesses, with younger people most at risk. Each year, over 1.1 million Australians will struggle with some form of eating disorder, yet only 1 in 3 individuals will receive the support and resources they need to survive. For those living in remote and rural areas, the lack of resources and support poses an even greater risk. Sadly, nearly 1300 Australians will die each year, as a direct result of their illness. But immediate help and resources are always available, both through your local GP, RFDS clinic or hospital or via a range of support groups, including Australia's Butterfly Foundation.
To find immediate resources and help with an eating disorder, head to Support for Eating Disorders and Body Image Issues | Butterfly Foundation
