Anorexia is a silent killer. It's silent because we don't expect people who look "great" to be near death. In our culture we value beauty; beauty that is often associated with being thin.  Because film and TV media put on the appearance of a few extra pounds, there is even more pressure on actors and models to be extremely thin. 

Starving is a small price to pay, some would say, for achieving dreams of fame and fortune, and joining the privileged few who make it to become working actors.  Brittany was close to success as an actor than most in the profession will ever dream of being. She had had some hit films and a fair share of fans. But her secret battle with anorexia cost her life.

I've worked with clients, and had friends who suffered from various types of eating problems.  Even when the person suffering from the disorder  is doing it for "professional" reasons, there are underlying issues that drive the disorder to out of control proportions.  Usually that something is some kind of unresolved traumatic experience. 

Funny thing about traumatic experiences, we don't always recognize them as traumatic.  Sometimes we think they are just normal and we are the crazy ones for having a bad reaction to them. We blame ourselves for how we reacted to it, feeling shame and humiliation for having a painful reaction to something that is normal in our experience.  An example of this is "spanking" or even verbally berating a child. These things don't, on the surface appear to be so traumatic, but in the wrong circumstances they most certainly can be traumatic. 

If you or someone you love is struggling with an eating disorder, whether its from over or under eating, odds are there are underlying traumatic issues that they need support in addressing. 


What do you think? Have you ever struggled with a full blown eating disorder and not sought help? Known someone who has? I'd love to hear about it. Comment below.