Article of a Women's Journey With Anorexia and Orthorexia that Almost Killed Her
shell1005
Posts: 5,945 Member
I read this woman's account of focusing on her health and how the strict rules became pathological for her. I don't think everyone who gets all CLEAN EATING WHOLE FOODS focused will have this almost fatal outcome, however I found it interesting.
I also found the article interesting since she talked some about the recovery and treatment of her eating/exercising disorders.
http://www.self.com/wellness/health/2015/03/care-too-much-about-healthy-eating/
I also found the article interesting since she talked some about the recovery and treatment of her eating/exercising disorders.
http://www.self.com/wellness/health/2015/03/care-too-much-about-healthy-eating/
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This made me cry, but I'm so happy she got help.0
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Liftng4Lis wrote: »This made me cry, but I'm so happy she got help.
Me too. It was interesting to have it from her perspective...even while she was in the midst of her disease.
I am so happy for her that her mom took a stand and had that intervention with her on the beach. I doubt she'd be alive today without it.
I agree, her mom rocked it!0 -
I was unaware we had such a decent facility here in Reno that handles EDs (and from the looks of it other aspects of mental health as well).0
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That's beautifully written.0
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Thanks for sharing, Shell!0
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Thanks for the share. I'm glad this had a happy ending.0
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That's very nice of you to share. So many people really do confuse those who eat healthy with those who actually have EDs.
It's good to be reminded of the difference. It's also good for people to get a little idea of what those with EDs go through.
Also, many parents of anorexics attempt to help. They do interventions. They commit the girls. They try buckets of love, they try tough love, they try forcing food and begging - they try everything. Most girls get better, but some die. If you cannot save your child, it doesn't mean you failed as a parent. You just lost and the mental illness won. If you love the child and try to do what is best, you are still a good mom!
They cannot all be saved
but failing to save them does not a bad mom make! 0 -
I was lucky my mom saved me0
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My comment was not designed to suggest that anyone has said that. Had I thought it, I'd have addressed the person.No one said because a parent may have tried and not been successful with an intervention that makes them a bad parent, not one person. Giving a compliment to the mother in this story for her intervention is not a criticism for anyone else who did an intervention that may have not worked.
Can we please stop the derailing of this thread on what makes a good parent or a bad parent? It is unnecessary. Thank you.
It's just that many people who have children struggling with this tend to blame themselves when they shouldn't. I think discussing that was very much on topic and am sorry that you took it personally and felt attacked. That was never my intention.
It isn't just the anorexic who suffers, but everyone who loves them, especially the parents, which is part of the article.
I think you did a great thing here, drawing attention to the problem as well as distinguishing between those who eat healthy and those who have actual mental illness. Brava.
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PrizePopple wrote: »I was unaware we had such a decent facility here in Reno that handles EDs (and from the looks of it other aspects of mental health as well).
From what I have heard....the good ones are few and far between.
I can't even imagine how expensive that treatment was though. She was inpatient for 11 months.
I looked the place up, and it is only a 10 bed facility. I'm betting it wasn't cheap at all. It makes you wonder about typical care as this place is certainly not your run of the mill inpatient treatment facility.
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If we could get back on topic and stop talking about parenting, thanks. It's a divisive topic and I'd appreciate my thread not going down that road.
And the article actually highlighted that those who eat healthy with stringent and rigid rules can turn into orthorexia, etc. Right there in the beginning from the mouth of the woman who experienced it. Is it common, no...but it is something that can happen. The idea of everything having to fit into such a rigid criteria for what constitutes healthy can lead to a really bad place.
I think it's maybe that vulnerable people who diet can fall into an ED? Last time I read about this, perfectionist daughters (often from affluent families as well), particularly those who have mothers with body image issues, and take on a diet, are the prototypical ED sufferer. I think any restrictive diet (including one that only restricts calories) could trigger it in someone vulnerable enough.0 -
I've never heard of orthorexia. Thanks for sharing this. I have two granddaughters. The older one is definitely a perfectionist. I give her sewing lessons and each time, we start off with the conversation about Who is perfect? No one. Therefore, any mistakes are what makes the project unique." Knowing that she may be at risk for orthorexia is something I can keep my eyes open for.0
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If we could get back on topic and stop talking about parenting, thanks. It's a divisive topic and I'd appreciate my thread not going down that road.
And the article actually highlighted that those who eat healthy with stringent and rigid rules can turn into orthorexia, etc. Right there in the beginning from the mouth of the woman who experienced it. Is it common, no...but it is something that can happen. The idea of everything having to fit into such a rigid criteria for what constitutes healthy can lead to a really bad place.
I think it's maybe that vulnerable people who diet can fall into an ED? Last time I read about this, perfectionist daughters (often from affluent families as well), particularly those who have mothers with body image issues, and take on a diet , are the prototypical ED sufferer. I think any restrictive diet (including one that only restricts calories) could trigger it in someone vulnerable enough.
Geez, you just described my best friend from high school perfectly. The sad thing is, her treatment taught her that nothing was her fault, "her mother made her that way." We ended up parting ways and it broke my heart but there was nothing I could do, it was her choice. I did run into her a few years ago though, she was at a healthy weight, married, with two kids. It was good to see that she was one of the ones who made it.0 -
Focusing on quality food can greatly help people who aren't vulnerable to EDs to improve their nutrition (and health) and diet adherence, because eating that way promotes satiety, for many.
Food "rules" relating to quality (protein, veg, dairy, nuts, beans, whole grains, some fruit) definitely helped me simplify my approach to food prep and cooking, and it kept me on track. (As in 80% on track. I'm not at risk of ever eating too little or having complex feels about McDonald's. My gain was mostly related to eating out all the time instead of cooking, and not really thinking about the portion sizes.)0 -
A person who is prone to that particular type of mental illness is likely to set up rigid rules and seriously restrict their calories. They don't all have rules, but it's not uncommon.If we could get back on topic and stop talking about parenting, thanks. It's a divisive topic and I'd appreciate my thread not going down that road.
And the article actually highlighted that those who eat healthy with stringent and rigid rules can turn into orthorexia, etc. Right there in the beginning from the mouth of the woman who experienced it. Is it common, no...but it is something that can happen. The idea of everything having to fit into such a rigid criteria for what constitutes healthy can lead to a really bad place.
I think it's maybe that vulnerable people who diet can fall into an ED? Last time I read about this, perfectionist daughters (often from affluent families as well), particularly those who have mothers with body image issues, and take on a diet , are the prototypical ED sufferer. I think any restrictive diet (including one that only restricts calories) could trigger it in someone vulnerable enough.
Dieting doesn't make a healthy person anorexic. Eating healthy food doesn't make a healthy person orthorexic. Exercising doesn't make a healthy person bulimic. Lifting weights doesn't make a person develop muscle dysmorphia.
Most people can eat healthy, lose weight, lift weights and exercise without developing a mental illness.
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If we could get back on topic and stop talking about parenting, thanks. It's a divisive topic and I'd appreciate my thread not going down that road.
And the article actually highlighted that those who eat healthy with stringent and rigid rules can turn into orthorexia, etc. Right there in the beginning from the mouth of the woman who experienced it. Is it common, no...but it is something that can happen. The idea of everything having to fit into such a rigid criteria for what constitutes healthy can lead to a really bad place.
I think it's maybe that vulnerable people who diet can fall into an ED? Last time I read about this, perfectionist daughters (often from affluent families as well), particularly those who have mothers with body image issues, and take on a diet , are the prototypical ED sufferer. I think any restrictive diet (including one that only restricts calories) could trigger it in someone vulnerable enough.
Geez, you just described my best friend from high school perfectly. The sad thing is, her treatment taught her that nothing was her fault, "her mother made her that way." We ended up parting ways and it broke my heart but there was nothing I could do, it was her choice. I did run into her a few years ago though, she was at a healthy weight, married, with two kids. It was good to see that she was one of the ones who made it.
Sorry to hear your friend suffered from this, and glad she's ok now.
Yeah, that is the profile*, based on studies. For anorexia nervosa. I think it's slightly different for bulimia (can't exactly recall that one as neatly).
*also athletes, especially in gymnastics, dance; sports where weight classes matter (eg rowing) or there's a preference for a particular body type (gymnastics etc again)0 -
A person who is prone to that particular type of mental illness is likely to set up rigid rules and seriously restrict their calories. They don't all have rules, but it's not uncommon.If we could get back on topic and stop talking about parenting, thanks. It's a divisive topic and I'd appreciate my thread not going down that road.
And the article actually highlighted that those who eat healthy with stringent and rigid rules can turn into orthorexia, etc. Right there in the beginning from the mouth of the woman who experienced it. Is it common, no...but it is something that can happen. The idea of everything having to fit into such a rigid criteria for what constitutes healthy can lead to a really bad place.
I think it's maybe that vulnerable people who diet can fall into an ED? Last time I read about this, perfectionist daughters (often from affluent families as well), particularly those who have mothers with body image issues, and take on a diet , are the prototypical ED sufferer. I think any restrictive diet (including one that only restricts calories) could trigger it in someone vulnerable enough.
Dieting doesn't make a healthy person anorexic. Eating healthy food doesn't make a healthy person orthorexic. Exercising doesn't make a healthy person bulimic. Lifting weights doesn't make a person develop muscle dysmorphia.
Most people can eat healthy, lose weight, lift weights and exercise without developing a mental illness.
Right, that's what I read. Dieting can be a trigger, though, in someone vulnerable.
(Is there some misunderstanding? I've never had an ED - by "rules" I meant your typical "clean eating" rules that get thrown around and are basically good sense for most people imo.)0 -
A person who is prone to that particular type of mental illness is likely to set up rigid rules and seriously restrict their calories. They don't all have rules, but it's not uncommon.If we could get back on topic and stop talking about parenting, thanks. It's a divisive topic and I'd appreciate my thread not going down that road.
And the article actually highlighted that those who eat healthy with stringent and rigid rules can turn into orthorexia, etc. Right there in the beginning from the mouth of the woman who experienced it. Is it common, no...but it is something that can happen. The idea of everything having to fit into such a rigid criteria for what constitutes healthy can lead to a really bad place.
I think it's maybe that vulnerable people who diet can fall into an ED? Last time I read about this, perfectionist daughters (often from affluent families as well), particularly those who have mothers with body image issues, and take on a diet , are the prototypical ED sufferer. I think any restrictive diet (including one that only restricts calories) could trigger it in someone vulnerable enough.
Dieting doesn't make a healthy person anorexic. Eating healthy food doesn't make a healthy person orthorexic. Exercising doesn't make a healthy person bulimic. Lifting weights doesn't make a person develop muscle dysmorphia.
Most people can eat healthy, lose weight, lift weights and exercise without developing a mental illness.
Perhaps the mental illness was already present, but not manifested, and something "clicked" when the diet/restricted eating began?0 -
If we could get back on topic and stop talking about parenting, thanks. It's a divisive topic and I'd appreciate my thread not going down that road.
And the article actually highlighted that those who eat healthy with stringent and rigid rules can turn into orthorexia, etc. Right there in the beginning from the mouth of the woman who experienced it. Is it common, no...but it is something that can happen. The idea of everything having to fit into such a rigid criteria for what constitutes healthy can lead to a really bad place.
I think it's maybe that vulnerable people who diet can fall into an ED? Last time I read about this, perfectionist daughters (often from affluent families as well), particularly those who have mothers with body image issues, and take on a diet , are the prototypical ED sufferer. I think any restrictive diet (including one that only restricts calories) could trigger it in someone vulnerable enough.
Geez, you just described my best friend from high school perfectly. The sad thing is, her treatment taught her that nothing was her fault, "her mother made her that way." We ended up parting ways and it broke my heart but there was nothing I could do, it was her choice. I did run into her a few years ago though, she was at a healthy weight, married, with two kids. It was good to see that she was one of the ones who made it.
Sorry to hear your friend suffered from this, and glad she's ok now.
Yeah, that is the profile, based on studies. For anorexia nervosa. I think it's slightly different for bulimia (can't exactly recall that one as neatly).
This is an internet forum about diet and no one should be seeking help about a mental health issue from a crowd-sourced, rarely moderated group.
Disordered eating is not the same as AN or even Bulimia - can the mods please handle these posts?0 -
If we could get back on topic and stop talking about parenting, thanks. It's a divisive topic and I'd appreciate my thread not going down that road.
And the article actually highlighted that those who eat healthy with stringent and rigid rules can turn into orthorexia, etc. Right there in the beginning from the mouth of the woman who experienced it. Is it common, no...but it is something that can happen. The idea of everything having to fit into such a rigid criteria for what constitutes healthy can lead to a really bad place.
I think it's maybe that vulnerable people who diet can fall into an ED? Last time I read about this, perfectionist daughters (often from affluent families as well), particularly those who have mothers with body image issues, and take on a diet , are the prototypical ED sufferer. I think any restrictive diet (including one that only restricts calories) could trigger it in someone vulnerable enough.
Geez, you just described my best friend from high school perfectly. The sad thing is, her treatment taught her that nothing was her fault, "her mother made her that way." We ended up parting ways and it broke my heart but there was nothing I could do, it was her choice. I did run into her a few years ago though, she was at a healthy weight, married, with two kids. It was good to see that she was one of the ones who made it.
Sorry to hear your friend suffered from this, and glad she's ok now.
Yeah, that is the profile, based on studies. For anorexia nervosa. I think it's slightly different for bulimia (can't exactly recall that one as neatly).
This is an internet forum about diet and no one should be seeking help about a mental health issue from a crowd-sourced, rarely moderated group.
Disordered eating is not the same as AN or even Bulimia - can the mods please handle these posts?
? Is anyone looking for help on here about an ED?
shell1005 posited that the clean eating diet was an important factor in the development of this person's ED
I argued that it was probably predisposing factors, which the author talked about
I later talked about how useful "clean eating" was for me, because I am NOT vulnerable
No one in this thread has asked for help with an ED
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Excessive with the "clean" and not necessarily using that word. There are all manner of self-imposed rules designed to create a sense of control. Control is a huge part of these EDs for many people. Some create many, many rules about what they can eat, when they can eat, how, where, etc.
A person who is prone to that particular type of mental illness is likely to set up rigid rules and seriously restrict their calories. They don't all have rules, but it's not uncommon.If we could get back on topic and stop talking about parenting, thanks. It's a divisive topic and I'd appreciate my thread not going down that road.
And the article actually highlighted that those who eat healthy with stringent and rigid rules can turn into orthorexia, etc. Right there in the beginning from the mouth of the woman who experienced it. Is it common, no...but it is something that can happen. The idea of everything having to fit into such a rigid criteria for what constitutes healthy can lead to a really bad place.
I think it's maybe that vulnerable people who diet can fall into an ED? Last time I read about this, perfectionist daughters (often from affluent families as well), particularly those who have mothers with body image issues, and take on a diet , are the prototypical ED sufferer. I think any restrictive diet (including one that only restricts calories) could trigger it in someone vulnerable enough.
Dieting doesn't make a healthy person anorexic. Eating healthy food doesn't make a healthy person orthorexic. Exercising doesn't make a healthy person bulimic. Lifting weights doesn't make a person develop muscle dysmorphia.
Most people can eat healthy, lose weight, lift weights and exercise without developing a mental illness.
Right, that's what I read. Dieting can be a trigger, though, in someone vulnerable.
(Is there some misunderstanding? I've never had an ED - by "rules" I meant your typical "clean eating" rules that get thrown around and are basically good sense for most people imo.)
I'm glad that more people are open to the idea that it's more about control and obsessiveness than it is about weight and food. It's becoming more the standard that the, "Hmmm, wonder if there is any truth to that?" idea.
I'll be even happier when they remove that picture (of the skinny seeing an obese one in the mirror) from the textbooks, lol. It's still there! I just got a book that came out this year with that pic in it. They're obsessive, not delusional. They don't think they're obese. They just think that the itty bitty bit of fat on their body must go.
I've been lucky enough to work long-term care with anorexics, so I got to chat with them at follow-ups six and twelve months after they began recovery. I listen and I hear and I remember. I ask questions. I believe people when they talk about their struggles.
But I've never had an ED and never suffered or had to fight through the hell myself.
I pray for every one of those girls every night of my life.
Dieting can trigger. I'm in the "Once an anorexic, always an anorexic!" camp that thinks dieting must be approached with caution for life. Many former anorexics agree, but some don't.
I think it's as much a trigger as booze is for the alcoholic, BUT not everyone agrees. I could be wrong.0 -
If we could get back on topic and stop talking about parenting, thanks. It's a divisive topic and I'd appreciate my thread not going down that road.
And the article actually highlighted that those who eat healthy with stringent and rigid rules can turn into orthorexia, etc. Right there in the beginning from the mouth of the woman who experienced it. Is it common, no...but it is something that can happen. The idea of everything having to fit into such a rigid criteria for what constitutes healthy can lead to a really bad place.
I think it's maybe that vulnerable people who diet can fall into an ED? Last time I read about this, perfectionist daughters (often from affluent families as well), particularly those who have mothers with body image issues, and take on a diet , are the prototypical ED sufferer. I think any restrictive diet (including one that only restricts calories) could trigger it in someone vulnerable enough.
Geez, you just described my best friend from high school perfectly. The sad thing is, her treatment taught her that nothing was her fault, "her mother made her that way." We ended up parting ways and it broke my heart but there was nothing I could do, it was her choice. I did run into her a few years ago though, she was at a healthy weight, married, with two kids. It was good to see that she was one of the ones who made it.
Sorry to hear your friend suffered from this, and glad she's ok now.
Yeah, that is the profile, based on studies. For anorexia nervosa. I think it's slightly different for bulimia (can't exactly recall that one as neatly).
This is an internet forum about diet and no one should be seeking help about a mental health issue from a crowd-sourced, rarely moderated group.
Disordered eating is not the same as AN or even Bulimia - can the mods please handle these posts?
No one is seeking help, but rather people are discussing an article. No need for anyone to step in and moderate.0 -
If we could get back on topic and stop talking about parenting, thanks. It's a divisive topic and I'd appreciate my thread not going down that road.
And the article actually highlighted that those who eat healthy with stringent and rigid rules can turn into orthorexia, etc. Right there in the beginning from the mouth of the woman who experienced it. Is it common, no...but it is something that can happen. The idea of everything having to fit into such a rigid criteria for what constitutes healthy can lead to a really bad place.
I think it's maybe that vulnerable people who diet can fall into an ED? Last time I read about this, perfectionist daughters (often from affluent families as well), particularly those who have mothers with body image issues, and take on a diet , are the prototypical ED sufferer. I think any restrictive diet (including one that only restricts calories) could trigger it in someone vulnerable enough.
Geez, you just described my best friend from high school perfectly. The sad thing is, her treatment taught her that nothing was her fault, "her mother made her that way." We ended up parting ways and it broke my heart but there was nothing I could do, it was her choice. I did run into her a few years ago though, she was at a healthy weight, married, with two kids. It was good to see that she was one of the ones who made it.
Sorry to hear your friend suffered from this, and glad she's ok now.
Yeah, that is the profile, based on studies. For anorexia nervosa. I think it's slightly different for bulimia (can't exactly recall that one as neatly).
This is an internet forum about diet and no one should be seeking help about a mental health issue from a crowd-sourced, rarely moderated group.
Disordered eating is not the same as AN or even Bulimia - can the mods please handle these posts?
Except no one here is diagnosing anyone and no one here is asking for help. So . . . not sure what your beef is?0 -
I read this woman's account of focusing on her health and how the strict rules became pathological for her. I don't think everyone who gets all CLEAN EATING WHOLE FOODS focused will have this almost fatal outcome, however I found it interesting.
I also found the article interesting since she talked some about the recovery and treatment of her eating/exercising disorders.
http://www.self.com/wellness/health/2015/03/care-too-much-about-healthy-eating/
Oh...wow. What an incredible lady she is. I am so glad she found the help she needed.0 -
Excessive with the "clean" and not necessarily using that word. There are all manner of self-imposed rules designed to create a sense of control. Control is a huge part of these EDs for many people. Some create many, many rules about what they can eat, when they can eat, how, where, etc.
A person who is prone to that particular type of mental illness is likely to set up rigid rules and seriously restrict their calories. They don't all have rules, but it's not uncommon.If we could get back on topic and stop talking about parenting, thanks. It's a divisive topic and I'd appreciate my thread not going down that road.
And the article actually highlighted that those who eat healthy with stringent and rigid rules can turn into orthorexia, etc. Right there in the beginning from the mouth of the woman who experienced it. Is it common, no...but it is something that can happen. The idea of everything having to fit into such a rigid criteria for what constitutes healthy can lead to a really bad place.
I think it's maybe that vulnerable people who diet can fall into an ED? Last time I read about this, perfectionist daughters (often from affluent families as well), particularly those who have mothers with body image issues, and take on a diet , are the prototypical ED sufferer. I think any restrictive diet (including one that only restricts calories) could trigger it in someone vulnerable enough.
Dieting doesn't make a healthy person anorexic. Eating healthy food doesn't make a healthy person orthorexic. Exercising doesn't make a healthy person bulimic. Lifting weights doesn't make a person develop muscle dysmorphia.
Most people can eat healthy, lose weight, lift weights and exercise without developing a mental illness.
Right, that's what I read. Dieting can be a trigger, though, in someone vulnerable.
(Is there some misunderstanding? I've never had an ED - by "rules" I meant your typical "clean eating" rules that get thrown around and are basically good sense for most people imo.)
I'm glad that more people are open to the idea that it's more about control and obsessiveness than it is about weight and food. It's becoming more the standard that the, "Hmmm, wonder if there is any truth to that?" idea.
I'll be even happier when they remove that picture (of the skinny seeing an obese one in the mirror) from the textbooks, lol. It's still there! I just got a book that came out this year with that pic in it. They're obsessive, not delusional. They don't think they're obese. They just think that the itty bitty bit of fat on their body must go.
I've been lucky enough to work long-term care with anorexics, so I got to chat with them at follow-ups six and twelve months after they began recovery. I listen and I hear and I remember. I ask questions. I believe people when they talk about their struggles.
But I've never had an ED and never suffered or had to fight through the hell myself.
I pray for every one of those girls every night of my life.
Dieting can trigger. I'm in the "Once an anorexic, always an anorexic!" camp that thinks dieting must be approached with caution for life. Many former anorexics agree, but some don't.
I think it's as much a trigger as booze is for the alcoholic, BUT not everyone agrees. I could be wrong.
I bet you've helped a lot of them
Re obsession vs. delusion - is this also true for someone who's gotten to quite a critical stage? I know there might be some general cognitive impairments at that point, but e.g. thinking of some of the people who've gotten media attention for their illness (ordinary people who got famous because of being so very ill, not celebrities who became ill while famous), it's hard to imagine some kind of delusion not being part of it
It seems very difficult, indeed.
(I've only read about EDs; I know someone who struggled with bulimia, but that's it.)0
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