| Subject: Re: an attempt at a response to Nicole |
Author:
mrsk
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Date Posted: 20:05:42 09/07/04 Tue
In reply to:
red_candle
's message, "an attempt at a response" on 19:15:07 09/07/04 Tue
>i just came from my abnormal psych class where we
>talked about eating disorders a little bit... and it
>has me thinking. to say there is a "core" problem
>would be too simple. i remember being little and
>seeing movies on TV about anorexia and bulimia and
>thinking how strange it was. i didnt understand how
>girls (and boys) could not eat, or why they would
>choose not to. it was such a foreign concept to me.
>but i think even then there was a part of me that was
>fascinated by thier willpower; intrigued even. i
>wasn't scared of their emaciated bodies (as they
>always make sure that the girls they interview look
>classically 'anorexic') instead i identified with the
>shutting off of all outward emotions, having control
>over yourself, denying access of your problems to
>anyone else. having an eating disorder, to me, is
>like setting up a new self-contained life. you have a
>secret that feels good to have, and maybe more
>importantly an aspect of your life that is determined
>by your willpower. however, that's also where the
>problems begin. no one's willpower is strong all of
>the time, and sometimes physical needs will overpower
>mental determination. the hunger becomes secondary.
>it's a battle, a struggle, and it has a very confusing
>and tangled core. i believe that people with
>disordered eating have some sort of genetic
>predisposition towards it in some regards (it has been
>suggested that our seratonin levels are out of whack,
>though establishing a cause/effect relationship is not
>really possible), but it doesn't stop there. in
>addition to being at risk for developing an ED, there
>also have to be environmental stressors that encourage
>it along. unless we consider the combination of
>environment and genetics, there is no complete answer.
> for instance, my mom suffers from various mental
>disorders, which puts me at a higher risk for
>developing them myself. but i am not "predestined" to
>acquire them. if i were rasied differently, chances
>are that i may not have an ED. but because i had a
>rough childhood, was molested, don't feel that i can
>confide in either of my parents, etc; i now have low
>self esteem, issues with sex, disordered eating
>habits... the list goes on. i'm sure a lot of us on
>this board could write books about our childhoods, our
>teenage years, and on into adulthood that would be
>filled with the traumas we have suffered. but on the
>other hand, we are stronger the more that we know.
>learning about why we act this way gives us courage to
>confront our pasts, and maybe understand our eating
>(and other) disorders a bit better. not that we can
>change overnight. maybe never. but anyway the point
>im trying to make is that looking for a core problem
>is the wrong way to go about it. by understanding
>that 'anorexics' and 'bulimics' are just people--yes,
>maybe a little abnormal, and maybe scary to
>outsiders--but still people, only then can you come at
>the issue from a multidisciplinary standpoint. eating
>disorders are personal, social, genetic,
>environmental--and culturally and racially blind.
>with as many people as they effect, there are bound to
>be just as many triggers, just as many reasons...and
>for some those reasons are still unidentified.
>
>i know i cant speak for everyone here, but this is how
>i feel. (i also know i tend to use a very 'universal'
>tone when writing that may seem to include everyone
>and gloss over things a bit.) i'm really interested
>to know how other people view their EDs. do you guys
>think your eating habits are the result of a specific
>thing? maybe developing an ED could be a
>post-traumatic stress reaction?
>phew, ok. didn't mean to type THIS much! i hope all
>of you are doing well, whatever your goals.
>
>xo
>nicole
Nicole,
That was one of the most insightful things that I have ever read. Thank you for putting that all in words.
mrsk
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