Seconds to Snap - One Explosive Day. A Family Destroyed. My Descent into Anorexia.

Having suffered from Anorexia for several of my teenage years, being admitted to hospital for several months and missing vital school years it took me a long time to pluck up the courage to read this book. I am 29 now and have been well for many years, but i knew I would find the book familiar and moving, but also very emotional. I read the book in two evenings-I just couldn't put it down.It really is a fantastic book. Tina's honest and shameless account of living with Anorexia for so long (and the many physical complications that arise during recovery) is admirable and I found the words resonating with me. Even though I am well I still found the book really helpful, it made me realise that I was not alone in the things I experienced. It is written SO well, sensitive but honest. I would completely recommend that this book should be available in ALL schools.This book is one part of all the amazing work Tina is doing to raise awareness of mental health issues and highlight the importance of early interventions in eating disorder treatment. Tina is a shining example of how recovery IS possible, given the right help and treatment and the book is truly powerful as a beacon of hope for those individuals suffering and for all those close to anyone suffering from Anorexia.

I do not know what to say. I do not read many books as I cannot get into them. But after buying this for my wife and daughters to read and after they told me how amazing it is I decided to read it. I always wanted to but takes me a while to get a book going. I have just finished the book and I must admit I was lost for words. Truly Inspirational Tina. Amazing book, could not put it down read it when I could and always looked forward to picking it back up. Don’t think I have ever been that emotionally drawn into a bit of paperwork. Amazing to think how well you have come out the other side Tina. Thought you and Jock were amazing people before reading the book but now incredible people. Well done to you, I am sure your dad is looking at you now and so proud. xxTaff and FamilyAMAZING AND INSPIRATIONAL

Inspirational and full of hopeThis book will strike a cord with anyone who has or knows of someone living with mental health issues and the impact this can have on the whole family. Certainly inspirational and should provide hope for sufferers and their families.

I've recently got to know the wonderful Tina McGuff, author of this bestselling book, Seconds to Snap, in which she gives an in-depth and absolutely gripping account of her fall into the pit of mental ill health and Anorexia Nervosa in her early teens. However, Tina's account is one of success and, ultimately, joy as she recovers and rediscovers happiness and a full life. If you are, or have ever been in the merciless grip of an eating disorder, or any life-sapping mental health problem; or if you know and love someone who is or has been, I would absolutely and highly recommend Tina's book; her story is heartwarming and inspirational, as well as being informative and insightful.Tina is on a mission to help anyone affected by mental ill-health and/or eating disorders, if you read her book you will be uplifted.

A very moving account of Tina's eating disorder as well as her mental health issues. The book moves at great pace and I could feel as through I was experiencing the anguish and mental torture with her.Just as you think she has beaten her illness, so there are more setbacks and twists to the story. I found myself shaking my head in frustration with the author, irate at some points and intensely sad for her state of mind. The last few chapters bring joy at her determination to get her life back and an unexpected turn of events.A very harsh account, no punches pulled - at all - read the book within a few hours as I wanted to know where the story went next, superbly written and not indulgent at all. A must read, hugely informative and engaging.

It is difficult to find the right words to review this book.An honest, compelling and captivating book. An easy read (writing style) but difficult read (content). Tina shows bravery, courage, strength and determination, even through the darkest parts of her journey. As do her family.This is the kind of book that gets under your skin, you will find yourself thinking about it when your are not reading it, or once you have finished it.

I knew Tina from primary school and am glad to have been a friend through her happy times but reading this has saddened me that we drifted apart in high school years when she needed everyone so much through her very sad times. This book is one of the most emotional things I have read and to know her personally made it harder. Your family were so good to myself and my sister and you have all been through so much. Tina, you are an inspiration and a very brave beautiful woman. To see you at the book launch so happy after reading this book is truly wonderful. Your courage and life experience will definitely help many many people. I wish you all the very best for your future and thank you for being a childhood friend and for coming back into all of our lives and making a difference x

Heart wrenching, a true story written with honesty. A true account of one young girls trauma from family breakdown and the knock on affect to her mental health. The fact her family breakdown involved the media is so relevant today with children’s lives being exposed over social media, and the lack of control they have with those issues. Including bullying.The way her mental health declined and portrayed itself through an eating disorder. The emotions involved and her fight back to health, going on to gain belief and confidence in herself, gaining strength with her pilots licence and finding her true love and stability with her own family .... fantastic story ... an inspirational lady who is using her own experiences to highlight the importance of mental health, and offer hope to many others.

This book was one of those pieces you can't put down. Our family has had the honor of meeting the author and she is just as incredible in-person as she is in her book.It is rare to find a book that is so real and vulnerable and discusses mental illness in such an authentic way. However, Tina has mastered this. Be prepared to spend your afternoon reading this book on the edge of your seat, eager to know what comes next.I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone. Incredible work Tina, your story is so inspiring and gives us hope.

I bought Tina’s book to read on a long transatlantic flight but started it in the airport hotel the night before and couldn’t put it down. I am astonished at how Tina battled inner demons of anorexia and then suffered loss but somehow came out of it all as a stronger woman; one who had the courage to share her experiences so others might be encouraged. It’s a great read and an emotional rollercoaster.

An excellent book! Very well written and a good resource for those struggling with mental illness and their loved ones.

Really shows the negatives about anorexia and doesn’t sugar coat, I absolutely love how Tina put everything out there, this illness kills it isn’t just losing weight it destroys your life and your family life this book puts that out there. Thankful I finally picked this book up! 💕

In the interest of full disclosure, I should relate that I am an internet acquaintance of the author, having met her through a travel website. She is a resident of Dundee and I have traveled to nearby St. Andrews. Since taking a golf trip a few years ago, I have maintained contact and conversed from time to time, well before publication of the subject book.It is absolutely stunning to me that the “squared away” person I know is the same person whose struggles are detailed in this first horrifying and then uplifting and inspirational account of her descent into anorexia. Depression and eating disorders are so far outside my frame of reference that it is difficult to speak on the subject. For me, Tina’s book puts a human face on this far too common debilitating disease. It highlights the effect of the disease on the loved ones of the sufferer. Unfortunately, anorexia is only a part of the struggles faced by Tina, first as a teenager and then a young adult. The events that triggered her eating disorder, the breakup of her family and descent into poverty, a nervous breakdown and the death of her beloved father only add to the list of obstacles she has faced to date. It is heartbreaking.Luckily, Tina was able to overcome these obstacles and lead not just a normal life, but a very successful one as a wife and mother. Her story should be an inspiration not only to those suffering from similar illnesses, but to their families, many of whom have likely lost hope that recovery is a possibility. In my case, it has brought to light how fortunate I have been not having faced even a tiny fraction of the adversity overcome by Tina.Tina is Scottish and she speaks with the colloquial terms of her native land. She also speaks of weight using stones (one stone=14 pounds), so some of the writing might not be familiar to an American audience, though if anything, it adds charm. The feelings expressed and the pain suffered, however, is universal.