I’m often confused by “awareness” campaigns. Many of the causes
that have awareness weeks or months are already on our collective radar. How
far does “awareness” go in actually addressing the needs of those who suffer
from the particular illness or condition?
This is National Eating Disorders Awareness week, but let’s
face it—most of us have heard of eating disorders. We know about women who
starve themselves because they’re terrified of gaining weight; we hear tales of
bingeing and purging cycles so severe that the person’s teeth rot. But how
often have we heard the words “anorexic” or “bulimic” used as an accusation or
insult? Do we laugh at jokes about someone’s binge eating? We’re certainly
aware of these conditions—but where is the compassion?
According to NEDA, 20 million women and 10 million men
suffer from an eating disorder. Desperate loved ones often feel helpless. The
husband of a woman with anorexia tells her “just eat!” Parents of the young man
with binge-eating disorder tell him “just eat smaller portions!” That word
“just” crops up a lot and makes something so complicated seem so simple. There
is nothing simple about recovering from an eating disorder. But it is possible
and starts with compassion and understanding.
I am currently interning at The Awakening Center [[note--include hyperlink
www.awakeningcenter.net]], a private psychotherapy practice that
specializes in treating eating disorders, anxiety, trauma, depression, and
other life challenges. Each of my clients and members of our ED support groups
work hard to recover. They describe pain, shame, fear, and anger. They search
for peace that at times seems unattainable. Triggers are everywhere, and they
fear slipping back into old patterns. And they struggle to overcome the shame
and stigma attached to their eating disorder.
The theme of this year’s NEDAwareness [[note—this spelling is correct; include
hyperlink www.nedawarenessweek.org]]
week is “I had no idea.” Those simple words strung together pack a powerful
punch. They prompt us to go beyond simple awareness. “I had no idea” compels us
to face the myths and biases that we have about people with eating disorders.
Amy Grabowski, LCPC ATR, founder of The Awakening Center,
often quotes Milton Erikson: “What is now a problem was once a solution.”
Restricting food, bingeing and purging, or bingeing all were once solutions to
deal with anxiety, depression, trauma, and so forth. But these coping
mechanisms become entrenched and have little to do with food, exercise, or
weight. So treatment needs to go beyond calorie intake. Recovery comes from
healing old wounds and learning to accept the body, mind, and spirit. New
solutions to anxiety are discovered and toolboxes are filled with new skills.
If you or a loved one is suffering from an eating disorder,
it’s OK to admit what you don’t know. Start with the words “I had no idea” and
see where that leads. Think about your assumptions and you might realize “I had
no idea someone could be at a normal weight and still have a binge-eating
disorder.” Educate yourself about the consequences of anorexia and you might
say “I had no idea so many die from this illness.” Find the compassion within
yourself to get help and you might hear yourself say “I had no idea I could
find peace.”
Nancy Hall
Candidate for master’s degree in clinical mental health
Graduate intern at The Awakening Center
http://womenshealthfoundation.org/national-eating-disorders-awareness-week/
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