Anorexia Nervosa – Food Addiction Help!

Eating disorders have been considered a relatively recent discovery, which was brought to the forefront by the death of singer Karen Carpenter. This tragic event was the first time many people learned of the eating disorders anorexia nervosa and bulimia. But, it turns out that a person obsessing about what they eat is not necessarily a recent anomaly. In fact, doctors in England first reported cases of anorexia in the 1860s.

Anorexia nervosa differs greatly from other eating disorders such as compulsive overeating and bulimia. And, in my opinion, is driven by entirely different motives. Anorexia is often characterized in the mainstream as a refusal to maintain a healthy body weight, and an obsessive fear of gaining weight due to a distorted self-image. While it is a serious condition that, at times, even leads to death, it can be overcome by addressing the core issues. Unfortunately, I don’t believe that happens in most cases. The mainstream tends to view anorexia as a psychological distortion of self-image that is connected to body weight and food, which is perpetuated by social programming and a perception of the perfect body. And, while some of that may be true, I have a different perspective on the driving factors. There are, in fact, two types of anorexia; purging and restrictive. In some cases, more than one disorder is present as in the purging form which exhibits the characteristics of bulimia as well as anorexia. For now, I would like to focus on the restrictive type since that is the context in which anorexia has been mainly portrayed.

The mainstream theory suggests that anorexics are often abnormally sensitive about being perceived as fat or have a fear of becoming fat. However, this is not always the dominant factor. And, even if it is present, I believe that it is connected to something much deeper than merely social perceptions. Of course, eating disorders can often be intertwined, so not every situation is black and white. However, when behaviors such as self-starvation, food restriction and chew-spitting are present, I believe there is a direct fundamental cause.

As with all types of addiction, low self-esteem is also a common denominator in anorexia. But, there are also extreme personal identity issues, a need for acceptance, and a longing for the love and attention that is being denied by ones family. After delving deeply into this issue, I have concluded that there are three main components that drive anorexia.

1. Starvation, deprivation and chew spitting are used to garner attention and affection to compensate for lack of love and bonding with ones family. Typically speaking, a dysfunctional mother daughter relationship is usually at hand.

1. Anorexic behavior is used as a means to control emotions and feelings regarding the dysfunctional and abusive behavior that is often present in families.

1. Starvation is used as a tool to control weight and body image, which is often connected to acceptance, love and personal identity issues. Frequently, this is caused by patterns of verbal abuse and control.

In summary, it is all about the love! And, if your family is not going to deliver the goods, you must learn to find that love within and ultimately surround yourself with those who are willing to reciprocate. Anorexia is merely a tool to avoid emotions and feelings that are being suppressed. You may feel as if you are controlling the situation by abusing food and your body, but that’s a game you will inevitably lose. You must begin to express yourself, speak your will, establish your identity and take back your personal power. The way out is always within!  And, it is there that you’ll find the answer to the all important question “where is the love?”

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Regards,

David Roppo

The Addiction Freedom Coach