Anorexia and bulimia start out winning favor by making promises—promises for an end to loneliness, for perfection, popularity, success, happiness, etc. But once its victim achieves the goal set by anorexia/bulimia to fulfull its promise, it raises the bar- one more mile, two more pounds, 200 less calories. It invites people into a race that they will never win, a competition that has no end.

Our culture is set up perfectly to support anorexia and bulimia in colonizing young people's lives. Young people are being pushed harder and harder to achieve in an ever increasingly competitive world. The images we are bombarded with are of perfect, happy, excruciatingly thin people.

If you are seeking treatment for anorexia/bulimia for yourself or for a family member, it is important to find professionals who specialize in working with people who are struggling with these problems. Anorexia / bulimia can trick people—those it possesses and those who try to exorcise it. A registered dietician, a medical doctor, and a psychotherapist may all be necessary members of an anti-anorexia/bulimia team.

I have experience working with other professionals to help people escape anorexia/bulimia's devious ways. Anorexia and bulimia work best when they can isolate a person, so at first it is very threatening to invite in

significant others. Once anorexia/bulimia is completely unmasked, its victims can see that they need support and that what others are offering is support. When it is appropriate, we may invite families and friends in to be part of a person's anti-anorexia or anti-bulimia team.

To a person in anorexia/bulimia's clutches, "getting help" can feel very threatening. I work very respectfully and listen very carefully so that I do not put my agenda on to my clients. Many of my clients have been in treatment before and fell like their inability to fight off anorexia/bulimia is a failure. Others tell them that they were not really ready to change, leaving them feeling guilty for wasting time and money on a pipe dream. I know what a struggle it is to keep your voice heard above the wishes of anorexia/bulimia. I never interpret relapses or leaving treatment as a failure—I recognize it as anorexia/bulimia's campaign to hold for itself my clients‚ lives. I stay in contact through letters and phone calls until my clients regain the strength they need to try again to push anorexia/bulimia out of their lives.

Links:
http://www.narrativeapproaches.com/antianorexia
http://www.troubledwith.com/