WHAT does this image tell you?

For the model Rebecca Wattam it tells a story of the emotional or psychological torture that is bulimia.

She is brutally honest about where bulimia, an eating disorder, has led her.

“I ended up with stage two kidney failure because I was so dehydrated from throwing up, taking laxatives and diuretics.

“I thought I was dying when I collapsed in the bathroom one night and my husband had to call the ambulance. They rushed me to hospital and pumped me with three litres of IV fluid.

“I have never taken laxatives since. I get bad acne, my face swells up. I lack mind clarity, I have no energy. The acid in the vomit makes my veneer caps fall out and rot the inside of my teeth.

“I have numerous fillings. My body odour smells, my breath smells.

“You lose precious time and a social life. Your evenings are spent buying or preparing food, binging and purging.

“You don’t want to go out because you just want to stay in and eat. Then you feel you can’t go out because you’re fat and smell. You’re so tired. You’re more depressed.

“You get heart palpitations, the shakes and sweats, and quickly have some water because you’re worried you’re about to have a heart attack from distrusting the electrolyte balance.”

The picture Rebecca paints is not pretty. It is not supposed to be.

Rebecca initially agreed to the photo shoot by Tiptree-based Danny Sell-Malone for her lifestyle blog.

She said: “Dan and his wife Nat felt they were too powerful to be potentially overlooked and to get them seen by more people to really reach out to people - so here we are.”

She added: “When Dan and Natalie put a post up saying they were looking for people for an emotion project, I felt they were perfect.

“I’d seen their work on social media and liked their stuff.

“I’m not going to lie, it was tough, letting strangers into my secret world. And even the thought that the public would see my ‘fat’ photos but this is part of my own personal self acceptance too.”

Rebecca, 33, from Colchester, who is happily married to Dillon, started to suffer with bulimia five years ago.

It was prompted by feeling she needed to fit into a society where “we all want to be thin, lose weight and look good”. She still has relapses and battles depression.

“I’ve travelled the world, am happily married, drive a nice car, own property and run a successful business.

“I’ve even competed in bikini competitions and last year won The Miss World Fashion Title. But that’s why I feel its so important that people know the truth.

“I’m here to say ‘you can still live life to the full with a mental illness'. It’s nothing to be ashamed of and there’s so much different help out there.

“But also, if you have any form of eating disorder, it’s really important you talk to a professional.

“Normally my episodes of depression aren’t particularly triggered by anything, they just happen. But half the battle of getting through them is knowing it’s OK to not be perfect all the time.

“I am on a constant journey of learning ways to embrace myself every day.

“For me, anti-depression medication was a life saver. But talking openly about how I feel has been a key coping strategy."

Rebecca said the support of those around her has also been invaluable.

“I refuse to let depression control my life, and in making myself experience new things and try live life to the full.

“I have met so many amazing and inspiring people.”

Photographer Danny, of D&N Photography Ltd, added: “The images are 100 per cent real, gritty, dark and we believe tell the story this woman has to live on a daily basis.

“We believe these images need to be seen by a wide audience to show the real side to this condition.”

Rebecca founded MILA, Mental Illness Lucid Association, to inspire other women to embrace their mind and body, fulfill their lives and raise the awareness of mental illness.

She encourages women to share their stories and capture their emotions in photoshoots.

Rebecca’s worked in the equestrian property market and has her own dog grooming business. To read Rebecca’s blog go to www.theardorcollection.co.uk.