For those who know me well, remember the years I battled anorexia nervosa. I went from a pleasantly "well fed" young girl, to a scant shell of who I was. I was about 5'9 and wittled away to about 102 lbs. I believe it's origin had a fews different facets.
I was a high anxiety child who craved acceptance. I took "constructive criticism" as personal hatred from the giver. I remember my grandma, (who only got to see me once a year due to how far apart we lived) comment each and every time on my weight the first minute she saw me. Now, please don't me wrong. I adored and loved my grandma and as I grew up to become a wife and mom, she became one of my best friends. In fact, just a few weeks ago, we had our annual girl cousins' weekend, "Cows and Claws", (you'll have to personally ask me the meaning of that title lol) and we were all laughing at grandma's weight comments. I lived closer by this point and so our visits were frequent. Our hearts were shattered the day she was taken to heaven in a car accident that left us all shocked and heartbroken.
In Junior High, we had recently moved states, and well, let's just say, those 7th grade boys were less than complimentary. Ironically, some of the boys became some of my closest friends, and one even tried to date me all througout my high school years. ; I don't believe in karma, but if I did? HA! ;)
Through it all, I sunk into a deep hatred of my body, which took decades to come to the surface from. I could talk about the frigid cold I lived in, the loss of circulation in my fingers and nose, the obsessive diet which consisted of about 5 foods, that resulted in one VERY large meltdown freshman year in the cafeteria. But, I will save you from all of that. Because this post isn't about me. This post is about helping OTHERS see the subtle changes and signs in their loved ones that can point to one of the multilple eating disorders out there.
And don't be fooled! Eating disorders affect BOTH male and female. I know we often tend to think it's females who suffer through this more, but you would be surprised to know how many males battle this as well.
Below are listed 5 potential behaviors that could point to a possible eating disorder in someone you love.
Through it all, remember this: THERE IS ALWAYS HOPE AND HEALING AWAITING!!
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