i need to know if i am totally messed up... ppl say that i am anorexic and i can change if i want to all i have to do is eat... well if only it were that simple... the truth is... i have dealt with food issues since i was a little girl... five to be honest so how did i chose to be anorexic? i didnt even know what that was 16 years ago... also i dont look anorexic... but thats cuz i have struggled with bulimia in that time too but now its back to the restrictive ways again. So my question is... are Bulimia and Anorexia choices that we consciencly make (a life style) or is it just a sad disorder that i am stuck with? (I say stuck because i do not have the financial means to help myself and i cannot do this alone!)
2007-01-10 19:16:03 · 3 answers · asked by tears fall softly 2 in Health ➔ Mental Health
You did not "choose" to be anorexic or bulemic. It is an issue with many causes:
1. a need to control....feeling that you can't control anything in your life except your weight
2. the belief that you can never be thin enough
3. a distorted self-image (you see a "fat" person in the mirror instead of someone who is wasting away)
You are not "stuck" with this disorder but you do need help. Continuing on the path of bulimia or anorexia causes permanent damage to your major organs...damage that can be severe enough to be irrepairable.
At the very least, you need to get into therapy. Even without money, you can get help. Please call the local hospital and ask them for the name of a free clinic or free psychological services in your area. I will also list some sources here where you might be able to find free services or sliding scale services. Keep in mind that "sliding scale services" means you are charged based on what you can afford. If you can't afford anything, they treat you for free. Please get some help as I would hate for somethign to happen to you!
http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/p.asp?WebPage_ID=422
http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/p.asp?WebPage_ID=422
This site will provide you with information on how to find a support group, ways to improve your body image and a 24 hour hotline because you really cannot do it alone! http://www.helpguide.org/mental/eating_disorder_help_support.htm
Good luck!
2007-01-10 19:52:02 · answer #1 · answered by ilse72 7 · 5⤊ 0⤋
The truth is that nobody knows whether or not the two disorders are brought on environmentally or genetically. The collective data contadicts itself. For example, while there may be a few subtle links in the cerebral biochemistry of patients with the disorder, it is still also noted that the Western world has a significantly higher incidence of the disorders than the rest of the world.
As a nurse, I can only propose my hypothesis: Culture will influence how a pre-existing genetic mental disorder manifests itself.
Let me explain. There are many disorders out there that may leave a person more susceptible to anorexia. Perhaps they suffer from anxiety or obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). OCD is characterized as an abnormal need to perform certain ritualistic tasks to find personal contentment. Now if one were to have OCD, then perhaps the pressure of societies need to be thin may add some weight to mask the underlying disorder into anorexia/bulimia.
If you truly feel that your condition is not due to vanity (excuse my bluntness), then I strongly urge you to seek psychiatric help. The underlying mental disorder is not neccesarily anorexia. A psychiatrist can help you discover the reasons for the unnatural habit rather than misplacing too much focus on the actual neglect of food.
If you continue to skip meals or purge meals, the consequences will be disastrous. Obviously, your appearence would ironically be gaunt and ghastly and your physical health would deteriorate rapidly. If these factors are of no concern to you and you do not care about your health, then at least consider your loved ones who may be hurting to see you in such a condition.
This is my advice. I pray you take it.
2007-01-11 03:39:44 · answer #2 · answered by RanJAH 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Hey sweet heart I don't know the area you are in, but there is help for you, you can live a normal life with out this burden. Try this website, you might find some info that may be helpful
just copy and paste it into the browser
www.planet-therapy.com
click on eating disorders at the top
Good luck honey
2007-01-11 03:40:23 · answer #3 · answered by anjilla_kohl 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋