My thoughts on life, relationships, and everything else!

Friday, July 30, 2004

anapride:a huge oxymoron that is killing our teens

this absolutely disgusted and horrified me when I first heard about it. I was reading one of those tabloids while waiting in line at the store, When I came across one of the Mary-Kate Olsen articles. It was talking about her wearing an Ana-pride support bracelet, a pink string tied around your wrist to remind you not to eat, or to purge if you do.

Ana-pride is anything but pride. It is a movement currently sweeping the nation,especially among young women, where the quest to become thin is getting ridiculous. But there is more to being pro-ana or pro-mia(bulimia) than just these, I know from experience. I think that is why This disgusts me so much, I have been a sufferer of both(at separate times) since I was in the second grade. My story is the same story you will hear from almost every sufferer, and most don't even realize they have a disorder.

I was super skinny from birth until about 6, but everyone thought I was so tiny and cute, then my Dr. made me gain weight, suddenly I went from cute and tiny, to the ' adorable pudgy girl".....No one likes to be referred to as pudgy. The breaking point was when a girl had told me that I would be popular if I lost 20 pounds....So I did.  But then I got the attention again...So I decided "hey if I lose more, I will look even better", so it was anever ending cycle. By about fourth grade I had been in counseling for awhile (my Dr. Thought it may be stress ) and the Counselor diagnosed me with anorexia...She couldn't tell my grandmother by law, so if I improved, it was up to me. I didn't. It took me actually watching a girl come in for therapy who was a sufferer  that made me realize how serious of a disease this is. She was in her teens, and probably weighed less than I did. She was so sick she could barely walk, and couldn't live a normal life because she was too frail....I knew something Had to change. It took until around my freshman year of high school to get back to a healthy weight, and I still slip every once and a while. I had a bout with bulimia in December  and lost around 25 lbs, and I still have a weight chart the Dr  gave me so I can maintain a healthy weight, not one that I think looks well.

Most people don't realize how serious it really is...People die from this. If it goes untreated they will starve to death and never regret a second. You feel as if you are worthless,  dirty, fat and ugly. You feel like your only goal is to be a certain weight. That is your life. The greatest help to me is my faith in God. If you live a spirit filled life, The void is filled, and you know there is more to you than you outer being..Again, like I said ,you fall, but you atleast have something to cling to. Nothing else has that kind of power. And I am greatful everyday for what God has done for me. So, I f you know someone who you even suspect may have a problem HELP THEM! Don't just stand by. It isn't something they are going to come out about, and they probably don't realize what is going on. And the best thing is for them to have support and people who truly care.

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