Posted by Racer on October 26, 2006, at 12:32:48
In reply to Have we been brainwashed by the media?, posted by Deneb on October 25, 2006, at 20:46:53
> Why do people with eating disorders want to be thin so badly?
>That's the point I don't think you quite grasp: eating disorders are not something one decides to do one day. It's not a case of deciding, "I'd like to catch a little Anorexia Nervosa, because I'd like to be thinner." They're diseases. They are mental illnesses.
Saying, "I wish I could be anorexic" is like saying "I wish I could be schizophrenic." They're both devastating mental illnesses.
ElaineM wrote about some of the things that AN caused her. How about I add to that list, to show just how glamorous it can be? It's certainly not about wanting to look good, unless you figure having a beard and chest hair is attractive. I lost about half the hair on my head, but grew hair on my face. Looked like old-fashioned mutton chop whiskers. Does that sound attractive? I had sores all over my backside from my bones rubbing on chairs -- and that was upholstered chairs. I couldn't sit properly, and couldn't sit at all on hard seats. My skin was so dry it was flaking off in huge areas. No amount of moisturizer could hide it or fix it. If my arms brushed against something, they left smears of skin flakes. It was like full body dandruff. Does that sound attractive?
So, no, Deneb. It's not about being brainwashed by the media. It's not a new way to diet. It's a very serious mental illness. It's about as glamorous as being schizophrenic.
Here's a thought experiment for you, Deneb: Every time you think a thought relating to eating disorders, how about you change the eating disorder to schizophrenia and see if it still holds any appeal for you?
poster:Racer
thread:697767
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/eating/20060628/msgs/697909.html