A Personal Experience with ED

I recently helped write a report on Eating Disorders (ED). During my research I discovered the surprising fact that 33% of women suffer from an ED at some time in their life. That reality struck me when I realized that beyond the obvious sufferers of anorexia nervosa (who are often quite good at hiding their body shape) we can't tell that the remaining sufferers of an ED even have an eating disorder. In addition, I personally I see so many thin teenagers, I'm not sure that I could tell the difference between a girl who has this illness and one who doesn't.

Most enlightening to me during my research was the startling fact that for most sufferers, the cause of their illness is not just wanting to be thin, and sometimes it is not at all about wanting to be thin, but is really mostly about wanting to have control over their lives.

I have a teenage friend who suffers from anorexia nervosa. She was always a skinny little girl and according to her, never really worried about staying thin as she became a teenager. She was naturally built slim and as a gymnast, was more concerned about her strength and flexibility than her weight. Her coach regularly discussed the importance of proper nutrition and rest, which she took to heart.

When my friend was 14, her life changed dramatically when her father sexually abused her. She was removed from her home by the authorities and suffered in fostered homes for 2 years, emotionally devastated by all the events that had occurred. We talked at length about how lonely and helpless she felt about being away from home, apart from her mother, and how embarrassed she felt when she went to school. She told me that she had no say in anything in her life, her place to live, her visitation with her mother, her school, counseling etc. She said her sense of helplessness added to her traumatic experience. By 16 she was back living with her mother, but by this time she was suffering with diagnosed full blown anorexia. Most of her life was still out of her control and though back with her support system, she now had to deal with her mother's problems as well - unemployment, foreclosure on her house, and court proceedings.

It is not hard to see why this girl's anorexia was mainly the result of her trying to control something in her life, the only thing she could, her body. The fact is that anorexia nervosa is very commonly diagnosed in girls who have been abused. The girl is now 18, finishing high school. She has been in counseling for 4 years but insists that the counselors don't help her much. She said that they just "tell her what to do" and I realized that they haven't given her what she needs the most - a sense of control over her life. At the moment she is suffering many physical problems that can result from anorexia. Her kidneys no longer function normally, her blood pressure is abnormal, and she has serious heart issues.

My deepest hope is that she is not too far gone that she can recover physically from her illness as she regains control over her life as an adult and heals emotionally. I intend to stay in touch with her as she leaves home for college and encourage her to regain a sense of control over her life, making decisions for herself and directing her own future.

More information about anorexia nervosa can be found at this website:

http://www.nami.org/Template.cfm?Section=By_Illness&template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=102975