Anorexia - a disease for a very modern age?


Anorexia Nervosa - a psychological disorder characterized by somatic delusions that you are too fat, despite being emaciated.
According to a report published by 'The British Psychological Society' (see here for full report):
'A summary of 68 treatment studies published before 1989 with a length of follow-up of one to 33 years, found that 43 per cent of people recover completely, 36 per cent improve, 20 per cent develop a chronic eating disorder and five per cent die from anorexia nervosa (Steinhausen, 1995).'

These are part of many statistics gathered over decades and they only cover the cases that are known. Worryingly there are many cases that are not known and many people suffering without any help. 

You may have thought how on earth such a terrible disease came to be, and what we can do to eradicate it. The first thing to do is to find out what we're dealing with. Good intentions won't work for this one. The first case of Anorexia can be traced back to the 11th century, that's over 1000 years ago! Watch this link for a short but compact history lesson;



So, we found out it's been around for longer than most of us have been alive. It is a mental problem that has affected our mothers, grand mothers, great grandmothers, great-great grandmothers... You see where I'm going with this. Now there is evidence that men are  affected by the disease. It isn't something we have a vaccine for or a cream, an ointment or a bandage. It's a problem that lies hidden in the mind, a problem that takes route on the inside and manifests itself by destroying it's host. Anorexia is a parasite and if we see it that way, then surely we're going to want to do something about it, and take the whole issue seriously.  

 Prevention is better than cure, so they say. How can we guard ourselves against the infection? Anorexia is contagious, not by touch, but by being around people who are suffering; such as friends or peers. Seeing famous people who suffer from Anorexia in the media can also trigger the disease, as you may mistakes them for role models instead of bad influences. Some of these 'Pro Ana' internet sites, encourage people afflicted by the disease to continue to purge and torture themselves. The internet is one of the biggest problems as anyone can promote their ideas and anyone can read them. It's your choice which information you allow into your head because that is the way that this parasite gets in...by invitation. It's up to you.
At the end of the day your life is a precious gift...don't waste it.

If you suffer from this disease, there are people out there who know what you're going through and are more than willing to help! If you don't suffer from Anorexia Nervosa but know of a friend or family member who does, here are some links that will also help support and guide you. Check out the links below if you're in need of any assistance. It's better to call for help than to stay silent:






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