With the election taking place next week, everyone is talking about the candidates, their policies, who will get in, who will get knocked out etc. etc. And rightly so. An election doesn’t roll around every day. However, with all the hype and coverage around it, I feel that a particular unrelated event might get overshadowed next week. One that is important, both for me, and for many other people out there.
Now before you guess, it’s not National Fish and Chips Day so no need to whip out the salt and vinegar. Don’t ask me when that is – I always miss it. In fact, next week is Eating Disorders Awareness Week in Ireland. Now, by an awareness week, it’s not just an opportunity to tell people that eating disorders exist. We all know they exist. They may not be talked about half as much as other issues but believe me, they exist.
The awareness week is about so much more than that. It’s an occasion for the world to learn a bit more about eating disorders and what causes them. It’s an opportunity for the media to spread information about the illness, hopefully in a non-sensational manner. Most importantly, it sends a very important message to those who are suffering from an eating disorder of any kind: you are not alone.
I personally love the idea of the awareness week. It’s the one time when so many people who have gone through a similar experience to me come out of the woodwork at once and tell their stories. It’s strangely empowering to know that others are fighting the same battle as you, even if you will never communicate with them, even if you only read their stories on a screen.
So in light of this awareness week, I firstly want to tell anyone out there with an eating disorder that you are not alone. There are loads of us. Seriously. All of those habits you have and things you do that you think are really weird, I guarantee that others do them too. You did not hit rock bottom on your own, you won’t walk the path alone and you certainly won’t cross the finish line alone. We’ve got your back!
Along with that, I wanted to use my own experience to spread a little awareness about what an eating disorder actually is and what it most definitely isn’t. Everyone get ready – Amy’s getting factual!
From my own experience, I believe that many people out there don’t understand that an eating disorder is a mental illness. It is not a choice. It is not a diet. It is not a quest to qualify as a catwalk model. You can’t tell someone to ‘just eat something’ and expect to make it better. Nobody is to blame for thinking like this. I understand that starving yourself, binge eating and making yourself vomit may look like actions that a person has control over but in reality, it’s the voice of the illness in their brain that’s ordering them to do so. And that voice is often brought on by low self-esteem, stress, trauma and a poor view of oneself as a person.
So what is the voice saying? All of those lovely put-downs really. You’re fat, you’re useless, nobody likes you, you’re boring, you don’t deserve happiness (or cake)… the list goes on. That voice tells you that not eating, controlling your food or eating more will make you feel better. You do it, it gives some temporarily relief and eventually you feel crap again. This cycle continues though, with that voice in the background always saying ‘you will be better if…’
This voice is constantly there when somebody is suffering.
What else do people need to be aware of? Well I guess something that isn’t always highlighted is the extent of the physical and mental problems that eating disorders lead to. Yes, the number on the scale goes up or down but that’s not all. I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again. Physically, it can lead to hair loss, skin problems, osteopenia and osteoporosis, lost of period (known as amenorrhoea), eyesight problems, a damaged oesophagus (bulimia), heart problems and organ failure. Psychologically, it can lead to insomnia, anxiety and depression. So bear in mind that someone with an eating disorder may be carrying this heavy load. It’s understandable that they can feel overwhelmed at times.
Ultimately, an eating disorder can lead to death. In fact, eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness. You hear that? More people die of an eating disorder than any other mental illness, be as a direct result or through suicide linked to it. That is rarely talked about but it is so important, especially when it comes to funding relevant services.
I also don’t think enough awareness is spread about the possibility of full recovery. Doctors and ‘experts’ insist that it is something that is with you for life. I refuse to believe this. As time went on, I made my own mantra: if I wasn’t born anorexic and unhappy, I won’t have to die anorexic and unhappy. It does get better. Slowly but surely.
So on that positive note, I’m going to leave you. There is so much more to say but I hope to do a good few posts over the next week.
Keep an eye out here over the next few days. You are guaranteed to get some interesting information and stories about eating disorders and hopefully, some more pictures of my cat.
Amy, over and out.
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everybody's grand 