Anorexia.

  • Jepha Howard.

    Jepha Howard. (500)

    :
    Member
    Gender:
    Age:
    45
    Location:
    United States
    I've never noticed a topic just for this, and I searched, but found nothing.

    What do you think about this disease? Your opinions on if it's something to just grab attention? What do you think can be done to help people with anorexia/bulimia? When do you think it's a disease, and when do you think it's just an infatuation with your weight?

    I think it's like any other disease, dangerous and deadly, it could ruin your life. Not eating makes you have no energy. You swing moods like crazy, you want to sleep all day, you're weak, and your periods skip, and mess up, if you're a girl.

    I think it's a disease when you're obsessing about every calorie that goes into your mouth. When you've stopped eating every meal, or when you're spending every waking moment thinking about the food that's in the kitchen.

    Opinions?
    April 2nd, 2008 at 11:23pm
  • ultraviolet;

    ultraviolet; (150)

    :
    Member
    Gender:
    Age:
    30
    Location:
    United Kingdom
    We watched a heap of videos on Anorexia and Bulimia in PSHE.
    The worst of it is, from what I've seen, it's these videos that are meant to be 'awareness' that teach people how to become anorexic / bulimic.
    Personally, I found it terrifying. I found it horrifying what people will do to themselves to become 'thin / pretty.'
    April 3rd, 2008 at 12:03am
  • folie a dru.

    folie a dru. (1270)

    :
    Member
    Gender:
    Age:
    36
    Location:
    United States
    I think anorexia is a mental disorder. So is bulimia. And they're like alcoholism: you'll always be in recovery. I haven't made myself throw up since my junior year of high school [2004] and I still struggle with it. If I go too long without eating, I start to like the way it feels. It's not easy to get over.
    April 3rd, 2008 at 12:06am
  • wxyz.

    wxyz. (200)

    :
    Member
    Gender:
    Age:
    32
    Location:
    Switzerland
    ^ Well... yeah. What else would it be?:shifty
    April 3rd, 2008 at 12:07am
  • folie a dru.

    folie a dru. (1270)

    :
    Member
    Gender:
    Age:
    36
    Location:
    United States
    Dead Meat.:
    ^ Well... yeah. What else would it be?:shifty
    Some people don't consider them to be mental disorders.
    April 3rd, 2008 at 12:08am
  • what the chipmunk?

    what the chipmunk? (100)

    :
    Member
    Gender:
    Age:
    33
    Location:
    Great Britain (UK)
    druscilla; downpour.:
    Dead Meat.:
    ^ Well... yeah. What else would it be?:shifty
    Some people don't consider them to be mental disorders.
    Yeah, but it is associated with spoilt little girls...
    Actually, the general portrayal of anorexia is pretty appalling.

    It's either romanticised to a ridiculous degree (which I'm sure I've been guilty of) or a case of "eat a burger, you stupid ho"
    April 3rd, 2008 at 12:10am
  • Jepha Howard.

    Jepha Howard. (500)

    :
    Member
    Gender:
    Age:
    45
    Location:
    United States
    druscilla; downpour.:
    I haven't made myself throw up since my junior year of high school [2004] and I still struggle with it. If I go too long without eating, I start to like the way it feels. It's not easy to get over.
    My mom discovered that I wasn't eating, and put a stop to it immediately - kind of - when it started. I've been eating regularly for a while, but, there's always that possibilty of relapse - like you said.

    It can easily happen - as it easily is happening to me.
    April 3rd, 2008 at 12:34am
  • Court

    Court (200)

    :
    Member
    Gender:
    Age:
    30
    Location:
    United States
    I think that anorexia and/or bulimia just occurs in people with low self esteem, forgive me if I sound callous, but that seems to be commonly people it occurs in.
    And like druscilla;downpour said, I agree that it does stem from mental illness, but is there any way to determine specifically which mental illness it stems from?
    If that makes any sense at all.
    April 3rd, 2008 at 02:00am
  • disastrous.

    disastrous. (100)

    :
    Member
    Gender:
    Age:
    32
    Location:
    United States
    It always bums me out when stick-thin folk walk around saying they're "the fattest people in the world".
    druscilla; downpour.:
    I think anorexia is a mental disorder. So is bulimia. And they're like alcoholism: you'll always be in recovery. I haven't made myself throw up since my junior year of high school [2004] and I still struggle with it. If I go too long without eating, I start to like the way it feels. It's not easy to get over.
    I agree, I also think anorexia is a mental disorder.
    April 3rd, 2008 at 03:00am
  • Mrs. Melting Crayons

    Mrs. Melting Crayons (250)

    :
    Member
    Gender:
    Age:
    30
    Location:
    United States
    I've had a closer experience to anorexia than a lot, without actually having it myself. My sister was diagnosed with it a year and a half ago, and she still struggles with the fact that she doesn't want to get better. She'd rather be skinny than alive.

    It truly is a mental disease. You can treat the symptoms, the not eating or the purging, but you can't be completely cured. Like, my sister. She had treatment, but now she's a legal adult and refuses treatment because she doesn't want to get better. I hate when people say it's not that big of a deal. She might fricking die from it.
    April 3rd, 2008 at 03:12am
  • wx12

    wx12 (10125)

    :
    Member
    Gender:
    Age:
    32
    Location:
    United States
    druscilla; downpour.:
    Dead Meat.:
    ^ Well... yeah. What else would it be?:shifty
    Some people don't consider them to be mental disorders.
    Who are those "some people"? Psychologist and doctors have classified anorexia as a mental disorder. It isn't just called "anorexia", it's anorexia nervosa and it most definitely is a mental disorder, consult any medical book. "Some people" would be wrong in this case. It aggitates me beyond all reason when "some people" try and downplay mental disorders. Typically the ones doing it have no medical background or any experience to judge something like anorexia.

    :shifty By the way I did see your initial reply, I know you consider it a mental disorder, that wasn't aimed at you.
    April 3rd, 2008 at 03:59am
  • folie a dru.

    folie a dru. (1270)

    :
    Member
    Gender:
    Age:
    36
    Location:
    United States
    Court:
    And like druscilla;downpour said, I agree that it does stem from mental illness, but is there any way to determine specifically which mental illness it stems from?
    I don't believe it stems from mental illness. I believe it is a mental illness.
    April 3rd, 2008 at 05:05am
  • Jepha Howard.

    Jepha Howard. (500)

    :
    Member
    Gender:
    Age:
    45
    Location:
    United States
    druscilla; downpour.:
    Court:
    And like druscilla;downpour said, I agree that it does stem from mental illness, but is there any way to determine specifically which mental illness it stems from?
    I don't believe it stems from mental illness. I believe it is a mental illness.
    It's a mental illness on it's own.
    There are things that trigger it, sure.
    People making comments about your weight.
    Low self-esteem.
    Depression.
    and such.
    April 3rd, 2008 at 06:40am
  • Blooregard Q. Kazoo

    Blooregard Q. Kazoo (100)

    :
    Member
    Gender:
    Age:
    29
    Location:
    United States
    druscilla; downpour.:
    Court:
    And like druscilla;downpour said, I agree that it does stem from mental illness, but is there any way to determine specifically which mental illness it stems from?
    I don't believe it stems from mental illness. I believe it is a mental illness.
    Yes, I agree. Because it is in your head, if you get what I mean. Even though it's affecting you physically... anyone get what I'm saying?
    April 3rd, 2008 at 06:40am
  • Color Me Impressed

    Color Me Impressed (100)

    :
    Member
    Gender:
    Age:
    33
    Location:
    United States
    Blooregard Q. Kazoo:
    druscilla; downpour.:
    Court:
    And like druscilla;downpour said, I agree that it does stem from mental illness, but is there any way to determine specifically which mental illness it stems from?
    I don't believe it stems from mental illness. I believe it is a mental illness.
    Yes, I agree. Because it is in your head, if you get what I mean. Even though it's affecting you physically... anyone get what I'm saying?
    I get what you're saying. People with eating disorders most commononly have a very low self esteem, causing them to think they are not pretty or skinny or whatever enough, so they starve themselves or otherwise.
    April 3rd, 2008 at 06:59am
  • what the chipmunk?

    what the chipmunk? (100)

    :
    Member
    Gender:
    Age:
    33
    Location:
    Great Britain (UK)
    How does everyone feel the media affects eating disorders?
    And what about the genetic link found?
    How do you feel about the stereotypes vs. reality?
    April 3rd, 2008 at 08:48am
  • ChemicallyImbalanced

    ChemicallyImbalanced (1365)

    :
    Member
    Gender:
    Age:
    30
    Location:
    Australia
    We too had to watch alot of videos on eating disorders in PDHPE.

    I found it quite confronting and at one stage had to step out of the classroom. Although I was wondering if anyone had ever seen or read the book called "Bronte's Story"?

    It gives quite an insight to Anorexia nervosa.
    Anorexia is a mental disorder and is usually triggered from something. It can be from comments or depression but also other things like People close to you dying or friends moving away have been known to trigger it in some cases.

    As someone said in earlier comments, Some videos that we watch do seem to teach how to become anorexic or bulimic. I think one video showed how one girl hid the food away and made it look like she was eating it. It was terrible.

    Oh and another thing. Even though depression may sometimes be a trigger of Anorexia Nervosa sometimes Anorexia can trigger depression. My cousin is in special hospital as she developed depression after becoming anorexic.
    April 3rd, 2008 at 09:44am
  • Blue Demon

    Blue Demon (100)

    :
    Member
    Gender:
    Age:
    39
    Location:
    Great Britain (UK)
    As already been stated, I find that Bulimia and Anorexia are mental illness', one's that have to been cured slowly and with the patient wanting the help, otherwise all the work could be undone once the patient leaving the office/hospital.
    I don't know how the media is actually helping, a lot of documentaries that are going about on anorexia are actually teaching people about how to lose weight, than to show them the true horrors of what's happening to their bodies.
    A lot of people blame famous people for giving their kids a bad image, which could be true for some people; but in other's its also to do with their careers, like ballerina's and people who do gymnastics; in reality it can happen to anyone, for whatever reason; some people say it gives them control over something, when they have no control of what is going on around them.
    April 3rd, 2008 at 12:09pm
  • what the chipmunk?

    what the chipmunk? (100)

    :
    Member
    Gender:
    Age:
    33
    Location:
    Great Britain (UK)
    ChemicallyImbalanced:
    Oh and another thing. Even though depression may sometimes be a trigger of Anorexia Nervosa sometimes Anorexia can trigger depression. My cousin is in special hospital as she developed depression after becoming anorexic.
    Well, if you're not eating properly, you're obviously going to become deficient in certain minerals... potassium and lithium, for example, of which low levels are linked to depression... after all, bananas (high in potassium) are a natural anti-depressant and lithium (Nirvana song, yo 8-) ) is used as a medication for the illness.

    Oh, and by 'special hospital', I assume you mean an EDU? Those places are just bloody depressing...
    April 3rd, 2008 at 05:31pm
  • Santi-Christ

    Santi-Christ (100)

    :
    Member
    Gender:
    Age:
    32
    Location:
    Great Britain (UK)
    I don't get how people can do that to themselves.
    We've all been there, hated our bodies, or our looks, but doesn't something click that says this is wrong.
    I think no matter who you are, even if you don't feel that skinny or pretty, someone loves you.
    I hate to think people do that to themselves, I just want to wrap them up in blankets and give them food and cuddles!
    April 3rd, 2008 at 06:24pm