I got a call at eleven o'clock at night on a Sunday. "I don't want to worry you, but I'm in the emergency room." Unfortunately, for those of us who know someone with an eating disorder, this is a phone call that we get far too often. There are many times when you will make late night trips to the emergency room and times when you're so worried you feel sick yourself.
The National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders says that around eight million in the United States have anorexia nervosa, bulimia, and other related eating disorders. Just to put that in easier terms, eight million people is about three percent of the total population of the United States.
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines anorexia as "a serious physical and emotional illness in which an abnormal fear of being fat leads to very poor eating habits and dangerous weight loss."
According to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, anorexia is a distortion of body image and an intense fear of gaining weight. Those who are suffering are unable to see themselves the way that the rest of the world sees them because they constantly obsess over their image and what they would like to change.
Something that is very important to know is that anorexia is not as simple as most people think it is. A person cannot simply be cured by being told "you need to eat"; they know that. Anorexia is mental and a person can only be cured with proper treatment, and by taking the right steps toward a healthy lifestyle. It is a constant battle that many people do not understand.
Anorexia also causes many health issues. In females, their menstrual cycle can be slowed or even completely disappear because they're not getting the right amount of nutrients in order to maintain healthy body functions. Anorexia has the highest mortality rate of any mental illness because it literally starts to shut the body down.
People with anorexia often have other psychiatric and physical illnesses that may include: depression, anxiety, obsessive behavior, substance abuse, issues with the heart and/or brain, problems with physical development. As an article written on WomensHealth.gov, dives into.
Anorexia is a very serious illness because it is harmful, not only to those suffering with it, but for those around them. My best friend was diagnosed with anorexia when she was a sophomore in high school. Her body image was distorted and all she wanted to do was lose weight. She was encouraged by those around her who would tell her, "you're looking so good!" and "Wow! Have you lost weight?" While those words are very good to hear to the individual suffering from anorexia, they are very harmful and potentially detrimental to the individual's health. Those words encourage them to keep starving themselves. It encourages them to keep restricting their diet, or continue to work out obsessively. When I get phone calls from her saying that she is on her way to the emergency room, it is to tell me that her heart is having palpitations which could potentially lead to heart failure.
Our society has an unhealthy obsession with thinness and the "ideal body type." No one is able to feel comfortable in their own skin because all we ever see in the media are models who are starving themselves to look good on camera. This sends a negative message to women and men all over the country and all over the world. It sends the message that society will only consider you beautiful if you are within a certain weight bracket.
My best friend entered treatment in the spring of 2015, our senior year of high school. She has a long road ahead of her, but I believe that she can do it. It is possible to enter the recovery stages of an eating disorder with the right support team and the desire to get better. Recovering from an eating disorder is more than just learning how to eat food; it is being re-socialized to love yourself and to appreciate food again. In January my best friend was introduced to McDonald's french fries, and in them, I think she found a new love.
Recovery is a process. It is hard. It is frustrating. It strips you of everything that you want to hold onto. But, when you come out of it, it is with a newfound light in your eyes, with color and fullness in your cheeks that were once hollow and empty. The best part is, that you get to re-introduce yourself to the world as someone who has learned to love themselves once again.
If you, or someone you know, is suffering from an eating disorder please do not be afraid to seek help. It might save a life.
