Washed Away by Nikki DuBose

WashedAway: From Darkness to Light is a touching and unforgettable book written by Nikki DuBose and co-written by James Johanson. It is a moving and shocking memoir of a former supermodel as she recounts her dark and painful childhood which deeply affected her self-perception and thrust her to a life of alcohol and substance abuse, eating disorder, psychosis, body dysmorphic disorder and suicide.  

As a child, Nikki, a product of a dysfunctional family, experienced various kinds of abuse including physical, mental and sexual. This constant abuse and her mother’s deteriorating mental health led Nikki to develop eating disorder and distorted perception of herself. Without any friends to turn to or guidance from the very person who was supposed to protect her and keep her safe, Nikki turned to food, alcohol and sex to fill the emptiness she felt inside. This feeling intensified through adulthood and further pushed Nikki to the brink of insanity and self-destruction.

Through it all, however, Nikki stood her ground as she battled against her demons, falling down again and again but got up each time armed only with sheer determination and dim hope that, somehow, things will get better.

This is a story of an extraordinary woman as she fought to overcome adversity she had always believed to be much greater than herself and emerged victorious as she finally learned to love herself and recognized herself as God’s child. This is a well-written memoir that vividly paints a picture of one woman’s pain and suffering due to abuse inflicted by both herself and others. It gives the readers a glimpse to the plight and agony of someone afflicted with body dysmorphic disorder, psychosis and depression. Finally, this is a beautiful story of hope and faith, that no matter how bad things get, there is someone out there looking out for us and loving us regardless of how we look upon ourselves.

Congratulations to Nikki DuBose (@TheNikkiDuBose) on such a great book.