| Hi. My Name Is Lisa. I Have An Eating Disorder. |
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| Feature Articles - Health & Wellness | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Written by Kim Farris | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Saturday, 21 July 2007 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Her breakfast consisted of an apple or a handful of strawberries. Her lunch consisted of a baked potato the size of her palm. Her dinner was non-existent. She consumed countless cups of coffee and worked out with any energy she had left. Days came where she decided not to eat altogether. She had dizzy spells, and was very short tempered toward her family and friends. She continually made mistakes at work... All this time she had no idea why she felt this way. Instead, she drank more coffee to try and remedy the dizziness and stop her stomach from "growling". It wasn't until a visit from her father that her eating habits took its toll, and caused Lisa to collapse in front of him. Since he lived out of town he had no idea of Lisa's condition, and furthermore, was very upset that none of her family members had done anything about it. Thing is, they did try. Her mother tried to talk to her. She told Lisa she thought she had a problem, but Lisa would only retaliate in anger by denying any sort of thing. I spoke to John Rhone, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, and asked his thoughts on the matter of eating disorders. "Generally speaking, many people with an eating disorder are in denial that they have any kind of problem. Their denial often stems from such clinical issues as low self-esteem, a desperate need to be loved, living with a highly demanding perfectionist and critical parent or family, or some other unidentifiable reason. "Eating disorders such as Bulimia and/or anorexia are both life-threatening. Bulimia is characterized by episodes of binge eating, followed by purging, while anorexia is an all-consuming pursuit of thinness, resulting in self-imposed starvation. It has been my experience that the treatment of such disorders requires constant medical attention, as well as a psychological plan to assist the individual in achieving a more normal and healthy way of life. Occasionally hospitalization is necessary, in conjunction with individual psychotherapy (which may include hypnosis), as well as group psychotherapy."1 Lisa was indeed in denial. It seemed that, once her father took the reins, she finally, reluctantly went to her doctor. After taking an EKG (a diagnostic test that analyzes the electrical activity of the heart), the first words out of her doctor's mouth was "Karen Carpenter".2 Not only did Lisa's starvation affect her heart, but it affected her internal organs as well. Her pituitary gland had gone awry, giving her the symptoms of menopause. That would explain the lack of her menstrual cycle for the past few months, which also affected her chances of having children. Her pancreas also went off-kilter, causing her to become hypoglycemic. It is what Lisa calls "the curse". "Here is a girl who believed food was the enemy, and now is forced to eat all the time". In addition, the lack of food in Lisa's body also meant lack of oxygen to the brain. This explained her constant dizziness, changing moods and, most importantly, her memory. Before the eating disorder, Lisa was intellectual, creative, spiritual and had an incredible imagination for writing. Afterward her short-term memory was almost non-existent. Her doctor then recommended and referred her to a nutritionist and a therapist.  What caused the eating
disorder?
With many girls it seems the media is to blame. Lisa was one of those girls who started to feel self-conscious about her figure, even though she was already in good shape. The ultra-thin women on TV intimidated her. It didn't help that her boyfriend at the time was having his own weight issues, and made her feel she was the one who had the problem. She began to have self-doubts when she looked in the mirror, and wondered if she "measured up". To this day Lisa still has self-doubt and compares herself to other women in the media. "I remember watching an episode of Desperate Housewives. Eva Longoria's character was a size double zero. I didn't even know there was such a size! I felt more self-conscious than ever about being size 4!" I had the opportunity to speak with former Game Show Network co-host and model Stacey Hayes about the media's impact on self-image and self esteem. "I feel the recent trend in young Hollywood, in particular, to be very disturbing. Many young actresses are falling prey to the unhealthy trend of being a size 0 or even a 00, no matter what the cost to their health. "There is no doubt that being in the public eye creates pressure to look good on every level, but for me I am much more concerned with being healthy than being super skinny. I eat whatever I want (yes, I was blessed with a very fast metabolism), but with that said I maintain a 5-day-a-week exercise regimen (hiking, walking on the beach, treadmill), regardless of how busy I am, mainly because working out makes me feel good, releases stress and I believe keeps me in a state of good health. I am a 7-day-a-week wheat grass drinker, non-smoker and a life-long vegetarian." Jorge Jimenez, a father of three, also gave his opinion about the media's impact on the younger generation. "It is important for parents to know what their children see is superficial � they think that these images are "perfect kids". In reality everyone is different. Child actors have to lose so much weight before a show. Jeez, let kids be kids." Yahoo! News recently had an article about looking thinner in photos. The author, Gina Hughes, quotes a celebrity photographer, who mentions it is all about lighting and getting the right angle when walking down that red carpet. Hughes' response: "You're beautiful. Embrace every bit of yourself. Ten years from now, those "extra" pounds are not going to matter. What will matter is that a special moment with your friends and family was captured on film." Producer Mark DeMucha mirrors these sentiments. "My view is that eating disorders, as a general rule, are merely symptoms of a larger, more deeply rooted problem. Treating an eating disorder as a standalone condition is, in my opinion, doomed to fail, as it does not cut to the root of the real problem. I have a friend who suffered from a variety of 'eating disorders'. "Skinny as a rail she was, but always trying to purge and starve her self. After nearly killing herself on multiple occasions she finally had herself admitted to a facility. The root of the problem was a sense of lost control, a sense of worthlessness. All of these things were born out of a traumatic childhood. Once tuned into the real source of her pain she learned that she was really OK. She will never be 'Normal' as they say; but at least she can now recognize where a lot of hurt, pain and shame comes from. That has given her enough of an edge to fight to stay alive."
Anorexia/Bulimia:
What are the treatments? As noted earlier, therapy is usually the first step to find the root of the problem. Depending on the severity of the disorder, an individual may attend one on one counseling or, if needed, attend a rehabilitation center. The eating disorder didn't happen overnight, so it is not expected to heal overnight. A list of resources can be found at the end of this article. A note of caution - be aware of how severe the eating disorder is, and of the person's mental state. In one case, a young girl in group therapy was very disturbed, and instead of helping her heal, the group attendance only helped her learn new ways of losing weight. She began taking six diet pills a day, without her doctor's knowledge. She died of heart failure later that week.
What are some of the dos and don'ts when a loved one is recovering? This question is directed to the family and friends of a loved one with an eating disorder. It is not something you will find on the Internet or in a book. It comes directly from someone with experience. Lisa remembers having a very hard time trying to eat again. Her parents would stare at her or nod at each other as if to say "oh look, she's eating". That was only a turnoff, and caused her to stop eating. If they asked her about it she was still very sensitive. In fact, she was a little embarrassed by the whole situation. Take care. Be patient. When she or he (men have eating disorders also) wants to talk about it, let them. Be open-minded and open-hearted. This is a vulnerable time for them, and they need you more than ever. Try not to stare at them while they are eating, or make them feel like they are on display. What is the long-term prognosis? Recovery from an eating disorder varies from person to person. In Lisa's case it is still a struggle. Her memory is better, but she tends to have short-term memory loss from time to time. Hypoglycemia is still a burden. "I don't think I will ever get used to it". From time to time she still finds herself obsessing about her body or comparing herself to others. "It is like a virus. Once you have this type of sickness, it never truly leaves you."
I look in the
mirror and what do I see
A disfigured girl staring back at me I see other girls so happy and thin I would do anything to look just like them I'm very unhappy, I try not to show What I do is secret, no one should know I've lost several inches in just a few weeks I still am unsatisfied of the image I see So I try even harder, purge and then starve I never thought I would get this far My clothes are loose, but my heart is tight I'm losing control and putting up a fight My muscles are weak, my head is weary The only pound to shed comes from a tear I need some help before it's too late I got a life to live, Heaven can wait
It can be scary and embarrassing to seek help for an eating disorder. But help is available! Treatment providers who specialize in eating disorders are available all over the world. You can search online, in private. Each of the following organizations provide online referrals to help you find treatment for eating disorders.
1 Cottage Care Centre Eating Disorders Program, Santa Barbara, California 93105.
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Lisa was 23 when she stopped eating. At
5'3 she was already a slim 117 pounds, but months later she was barely 100
pounds. She had started to believe food was the
enemy.
What are the symptoms of an
eating disorder?
How do you prevent an eating
disorder?
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