It’s not easy to recover from an eating disorder. In our society, having a certain body image is ideal and desired. Most women strive to “look good” on a daily basis. However, anyone who has ever struggled with an eating disorder knows that an eating disorder never really allows a person to feel good. In fact, it is usually the opposite. The person ends up feeling defeated and hopeless in her situation. What may have started out as a simple diet often ends in a debilitating disease. The person often feels ugly and unworthy which leads to a stronger desire to lose weight in the hopes that it will erase the negative view she holds of herself. Unfortunately, the more weight the person loses, the more distorted her body image becomes.
Possibly the cruelest part of this illness is the person’s distorted body image. This distortion does not allow for a clear perception of the body. In other words, if the person suffering from an eating disorder loses some weight or firms up her muscles, she cannot see it. This causes both confusion and frustration—others view them as very thin while they view themselves as overweight. The person is not “crazy” because she sees something different from the world; she is simply malnourished. A malnourished brain causes body distortion. In fact, the thinner the person becomes, the more body distortion she may experience. Eating disorders affect both the mind and the body. Therefore, treatment should include intervention for both. Without treatment, the desire to attain that “perfect body” (the one that they will never be able to see through eating disordered eyes) becomes stronger.
If you are reading this article and are struggling with an eating disorder, I encourage you to get help. Eating disorders are very aggressive illnesses that need aggressive treatment. The sooner you receive treatment, the higher the chances for success. It is not easy to seek out counseling especially when society tells us that “thin is beautiful.” However, remember that getting help does not mean getting fat. The goals of treatment are to help the person see herself accurately, so that there are no more distortions and to find alternative coping mechanisms that will provide her with healthier outlets for her distress. In addition, understanding why this illness developed in the first place is imperative so that it does not return or is not replaced with another unhealthy coping mechanism.
