Starvation, weight loss, and related medical complications are quite serious and can result in death. People with anorexia nervosa ignore hunger and thus control their desire to eat. Like all eating disorders, anorexia can develop at any major life change. Anorexia predominately affects adolescent girls and young adult women, although it also occurs in men and older women. One reason younger women are particularly vulnerable to eating disorders is their tendency to achieve an ‘ideal’ figure, a behavior often attributed to today’s societal pressure to be thin. When the rest of their life is chaotic and emotionally painful, anorexics find satisfaction in their ability to control weight and food.
Behavioral and environmental influences play a big role in the development of anorexia and stressful events are likely to increase the risk of eating disorders. Eating disorders can run in families as well. People with this disorder should be diagnosed and treated as soon as possible because eating disorders are most successfully treated when diagnosed early. One of the most disturbing aspects of this disorder is the fact that these individuals continue to think they look fat, even when they are horribly thin. Other than being too thin, their nails and hair become brittle and their skin may become dry and yellow. People with anorexia nervosa may also feel cold because their body temperature drops.
So how do I know all of this? In addition to research, I am a recovering anorexic. Fortunately, mine was not as severe as some cases, though at one time, I managed to drop as much as 25 pounds from my small, 4’-11” frame. The worst part was that no one was willing to tell me just how bad I looked. I never realized just how bad it was getting until I passed out and quit breathing one day as a friend and I went out to, of all things, eat. At that time, I hadn’t eaten in a week, and my girlfriend was desperately trying to fix that. According to the doctors, my ideal weight should be around 100 pounds. Since I was 14 years old, this was not acceptable to me. Every time I looked into the mirror, all I could see was a fat blob. This, of course, was my own perception of myself and not how others viewed me. For years I silently starved myself, and sometimes I ate as if there were no tomorrow only to ‘lose it later.’
It has been a struggle, but twenty-some odd years later, I am ok. I have maintained my ideal weight (and then some) for the past few years now. However, I will never fully be cured from its clutches. Just as alcoholics always have an urge to drink, I still have an urge to starve myself. Every time something negative happens in my life, I want to stop eating. Every time I get on a scale and see my actual weight, I want to stop eating. Every time I look in the mirror, I still see fat. The difference is that I now know how to recognize these urges, and I call someone. Just like a member of AA (alcoholics anonymous) has a sponsor when things get rough, I have one too.
The only way to overcome this disorder is by finding out the root cause. This varies from one person to the next, with mine stemming from issues during childhood that continued throughout my adolescence and adulthood. Low-self-esteem, among other things, manifested from my past experiences. Over the years, however, I have slowly learned to love and accept myself, flaws and all. I have figured out, the hard way, if you do not feel good about yourself or the way you look, nobody else is going to either. You should realize that your body is beautiful no matter what and so is your inner self. Overcoming anorexia can be difficult, but dealing with problems in the past will help you in finding a brighter future.
For more information on anorexia nervosa and other eating disorders, visit ANRED.com