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Occult Alchemical Great Work occult Information
Anorexia and Bulimia: A Concise Overview
As many as 20% of females in
their teenage and young adult years suffer from anorexia nervosa or bulimia
nervosa (Alexander-Mott, 4). Males are also afflicted by these eating disorders,
but at a much lower rate, with a female to male ratio of six to one. Those with
anorexia nervosa refuse to maintain a normal body weight by not eating and have
an intense fear of gaining weight. People with bulimia nervosa go through
periods of binge eating and then purging (vomiting), or sometimes not purging
but instead refraining from eating at all for days. Both of these disorders
wreak havoc on a person\'s body and mental state, forcing them to become
emaciated and often depressed.
There is no known exact cause of either
anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa, but many factors play a role in the initial
onset, such as: personality traits, low self-esteem, and social and cultural
influences (Costin, 21). Many anorexics have specific personality traits that
urge them to refrain from eating. Many are perfectionists that will diet and
exercise and not eat until their bodies are perfect. Unfortunately, however, he
or she never thinks their body is perfect, and continues their destructive
cycle. Anorexics that are perfectionists also tend to want to be in control at
all times. Often , they feel as though others are trying to force them to do
Breaux 2
things, and so, take complete control of their bodies. Marcia,
an anorexic, wrote in her diary \"I am in control; people are just jealous
because I have will power\" (D., 6).
Another factor is low self-esteem. One
anorexic said of her low self-esteem, \"My goal in life was to please; like a
chameleon, I\'d change to suit whomever I was with. I always felt I was in the
way\" (D., 1). Anorexics with low self-esteem often feel they are worthless and
do not deserve to eat. Not only do they not eat, but they constantly berate
themselves with insults. They hate their bodies, and cannot realize their true
appearance, instead seeing a distorted image. When she weighed a mere 98 pounds,
Marcia told herself, \"You are a pig. You are disgusting. You must suffer\" (D.,
5). Bulimics also suffer from low self-esteem and feel ashamed of their
behavior. Feeling guilty after eating is a common characteristic of bulimics.
K.D.K., a 22-year-old with bulimia, wrote \"Sometimes I would go to different
snack machines in different places so people wouldn\'t notice. And then I would
find an isolated bathroom and atone for my sins\" (K.D.K., 1).
Another
factor contributing to anorexia and bulimia is social influence. \"Historically,
men are judged more for what they do and women for how they look\" (Costin, 46).
Most ads and diet products have been aimed at females in the past, but now are
directed towards all people. Ads for clothing and swimsuits portray incredibly
thin models showing off their
Breaux 3
perfect bodies, and many
people are lead to believe that beauty is measured in pounds. Amazingly, most
female fashion models are 23% below what is considered a healthy, normal body
weight (Costin, 45). Anorexics and bulimics wish to look like these models, and
starve, binge, and purge in an attempt to achieve their goal.. \"Thinness has
come to symbolize not only control, but wealth, independence, and freedom\"
(Costin, 48). Anorexia and bulimia are a means for losing weight, which means
fitting in, which leads to acceptance - exactly what an anorexic or bulimic is
looking for.
Anorexia and bulimia do not distinguish between sex, skin
color, or religious background. Women living in the western hemisphere in their
teens and early adult years, however, are afflicted with eating disorders more
than women anywhere else in the world (Costin, 47). Males can also be anorexic
or bulimic, but it occurs far less often.
There is no cure for anorexia or
bulimia, but there is treatment available. Before treatment can begin, an
anorexic or bulimic must admit they have a problem and need help. Becky, an
anorexic and bulimic, said of this first, crucial step, \"Realizing something
was wrong, that I needed a change in my ways, was the hardest part for me.
Before I admitted to needing help, I thought everything was fine and never
worried about it (Thayne, 99).
Once someone is ready to accept help, they
are put on not only a healthy eating program but also a healthy thinking program
(Alexander-
Breaux 4
Mott, 105). In addition to sometimes taking drugs
to increase appetite, an anorexic or bulimic in treatment is encouraged to eat
healthy, regular meals. They are allowed to exercise, but not in excess. The
most important part of the treatment is the psychological part. A therapist
helps the patient to understand why they feel they have to be so dangerously
thin. The patient must be determined to try to change their thinking about food,
to gain a positive attitude. The patient must separate their \"Healthy Self\"
from their \"Anorexic/Bulimic Self\" and take control of the situation (Costin,
112).
A person in treatment will almost certainly lapse back into anorexia
or bulimia for short periods of time. On average, most survive their eating
disorder, while only 2-10% die from it (Costin, 114). The time it takes for a
person to fully overcome anorexia or bulimia varies greatly from person to
person. For a few, triumphing over their eating disorder can take as little as a
year. For many, they spend five to twelve years battling it, and for very few,
they battle it for the rest of their lives (Alexander-Mott, 111).
Eating
disorders like anorexia and bulimia are devastating to a person\'s body, causing
them to be dangerously underweight. Many factors can contribute to the onset of
these disorders, but they are attributed mainly to a person\'s distorted
self-image, low self-esteem, and a need for control. \"Eating disorders are not
about food or weight but about a disordered \'sense of self\' looking for
approval and finding it, however
Breaux 5
temporarily, in the
pursuit of thinness or the comfort of food\" (Costin, 48). Treatment is an
option for anorexics and bulimics, though it can take years, and sometimes it
never succeeds. Hopefully, though, friends and loved ones of anorexics and
bulimics will see the warning signs and seek help for them.
Bibliography
Alexander-Mott, LeeAnn. Understanding Eating Disorders. Washington,
D.C.: Taylor & Francis Ltd., 1994.
Costin, Carolyn. The Eating
Disorder Sourcebook. Los Angeles, CA: Lowell
House, 1996.
K.D.K. \"My
Story.\" Online. March 3, 2000 ~kdk2/mystory.html>
D., Marcia. \"My Story.\" Online. March 3, 2000
Tripod.com/~MarciaD/index.html>
Thayne, Becky.
Hope and Recovery. New York, New York: Emma Lou
Thayne, 1992.
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