Imagine this to see through the eyes of 30 million individuals of all ages and ge

nders in the US at once: I wake up to my stomachs angry rumbling and the feeling
of my insides being strangled by large, suffocating hands. My stomach squirms v
iolently as if attempting to escape their entrapment. Each limb feels as stiff a
s cement as I pull myself out of bed, and yet I feel a weakness in them that thr
eatens to snap my bones in half. The first thing I do is walk to my mirror and t
he pang of disgust i feel at my reflection makes me forget about my stomach pain
s momentarily. Fat surrounds my eyes, making them look small and lifeless, my ch
eeks are twice that of what's desirable I notice my chin is made of so much flab
ber that my lips look boyishly thin as they tremble. Breathing more unevenly now
, I walk across the room and begin to shake slightly as I step upon the scale. T
he scale shows me my worst nightmare, it reads 99 pounds. That's only one pound
away from triple digits and an entire two pounds more than last month. The pain
of my stomach has now spread to my chest- it's unbearable. Why am I so fat escapes
from my lips in a hoarse whispered voice.
This is the life of someone who is suffering from an eating disorder such as ano
rexia nervosa. Every sixty two minutes, one of these people will die as a direct
result of their mental illness. So what causes it? Unfurtaint;y, there exact ca
use is unknown, however, according to WebMD, some things may put you at a higher
risk to develop an eating disorder. Genetics can play a role in this so having
a relative-especially a parent who was diagnosed with an eating disorder increas
es the probability significantly, other causes may be perfectionism, low self es
teem. An ed (eating disorder) may even be triggered as a result of high amounts
of stress. An individual with these qualities can be on the verge of becoming an
orexic or bulimic. Sometimes all it takes for them to fall over the edge is pus
ch in thee wrong direction and some negative encouragement.
This is where pro ana (anorexia) and pro mia (bulimia) sites become extremely da
ngerous. Google pro ana and loads of websites pop up that encourage starvation a
nd purging as methods of weight loss. As of March 2nd, 2017, the first website t
o come up is a blog by a female who identifies herself as L. In her blog she sig
ns off a note to her fellow pro anas by saying keep commenting, sharing, and stav
ing. Her blog also states I do not encourage harmful behavior in anyway!. Reading t
his note about not encouraging harmful behavior before even clicking on the blog
is highly misleading. It gives readers a message that this sort of activity and
behavior is ok- healthy even. Sites like this contribute to the cause of eating
disorders. If an individual has an eating disorder or is in the midst of develo
ping one, pro ana and pro mia sites not only encourage them but makes them fall
in love with their disorder making it nearly impossible for them to want to seek
help. For many people, their disorder isn't viewed as a dangerous disease but a
s their friend. Something needs to be done to prevent this terrible series of ev
ents from occurring. You can start by discrediting these websites and as a membe
r of society, do your part to encourage healthy and realistic body standards. Fo
r those of whom that have already developed an eating disorder, there is still h
ope.
The first step of recovery is often admitting that you have a problem and wantin
g to get better. It can be difficult to do this but with a strong support group
and being honest with how you feel it is possible. A treatment plan will be put
together to fit your individual case. Often those who suffer from an eating diso
rder undergo psychotherapy in some form or another. A nutritionist will make a m
eal plan that will have to be met and antidepressants may be prescribed because
many times, eating disorders are accompanied with depression and suicidal though
ts.
Having an eating disorder is very serious and by no means should be encouraged.
If you suspect that you or a loved one may have an eating disorder, I encourage
you to get help immediately. https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org//treatment