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Bluebag Media
Eating disorder
a mental illness, a ‘mind game’
GREENVILLE – Anorexia is not eating; starving one self. Bulimia is
binging, then purging. Natalie Esarey, a Greenville High School senior,
has at various points in her illness been diagnosed with both. “I went
back and forth between them,” she said.
It has been nearly two years since her original diagnosis; she realizes
she was probably sick before that. “It’s a mental disorder,” she said.
“We can stand in front of a mirror… it may be showing thin but we see
fat.” The part of the brain controlling perception shrinks when it’s
malnourished.” When she was in therapy, she was told to draw a
life-size picture of her arm or some other part of her body. Then she
was told to compare that part with what she drew. “I could fit two arms
in the arm that I drew.”
Treatment is hard because those addicted to either or both (or a third
category, EDNOS – Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified) don’t
believe what their eyes can’t confirm. They can’t see the reality so
they don’t believe it.
Eating disorders are a disease, but also an addiction. Like alcoholism.
“There’s something wrong, but you don’t want to stop.” Natalie compared
it to some extent to alcohol. “If you take alcohol away, you’re still
an addict, but you’re safe. If we don’t treat our addiction – if we
take the food away – we die.” Unlike alcohol, she added, recovery is
not taking it away but learning to live with it.
Read the rest of this article at Bluebag Media
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