Anorexia Nervosa is a disease, that's the bottom line. Don't let anyone tell you that it's a cry for attention, or that it's some sick game with a stop or pause button convienant to you at any time, because no such button exists. It's a lonely, slow but definate suicide.
I struggled with Anorexia for a relatively short time compared to many others, but it's "symptoms" still linger. I don't go one day without food having a negative effect on me, and the taste of food has long been replaced by it's caloric value and it's fat content.
My reason for blogging on this subject was due to a recent experiance of mine. In an effort to help a younger girl with body image I was criticized by a friend. My friend informed me that being anorexic and feeling that way was stupid. I was infuriated, I honestly don't believe I've ever been so mad in my life. It took a while, but I finally realized that since my friend has never struggled with issues like that, she simply didn't understand.
So this is my message, Anorexia Nervosa is stumbled upon in an effort to control life. Everyone chooses something to control to regulate what's going on in their life, and for some it is food. Once it has began it's hard to stop. It becomes automatic, a compulsion. Rules and rituals come into the picture and complicate things further. You become cold all the time, even in the heat of the summer sun. Compliments don't help, no matter how sincere. Your stomach continues to shrink from skipping meals and restriction until you're catipulted into a sea of depression with no life boat. At this point you have 2 choices.
You can do the scariest thing in your life and eat. Gain the weight that makes you shudder (not from the cold) and live, or you can suffer the alternative, which is death. Like I said ignored Anorexia is a definate form of suicide.
So for those who didn't get it before reading this, I hope you do now. It's not stupid, it's more than that. For those who fight this battle everyday I'm sure this has hit a little closer to home. Just remember that you're not alone.
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i have never battled anorexia but i do battle depression and can understand how people do not understand that these issue are not just something you can snap out of. There is alot of it that is mind over matter....but there are also deep emotional issues that are the cause.