This paper is about a serious topic to me, though some other people may disregard it as simply (and incorrectly) the curse of the upper-class suburban white girl. This paper is about EDs, or eating disorders, and they can't distinguish between classes, nationalities, or sexes. I should know, I've had one since I can remember. I was only diagnosed a few years ago, but I never felt hunger, I was just born without that feeling I guess. And I've gone to clinics, hospitals, and therapies for it. And in all the groups I've been in, no single stereotype stood out. There were black girls from center city, along with men from middleclass suburbia, the upper-class whites, and well, a whole rainbow of colors and classes. .
My official diagnosis is "Anorexia, purging type", sometimes called bulimirexia. The physiological cause for anorexia is serotonin levels in the brain being too high. This creates a continuous, perpetual sense of high anxiety. By restricting food intake, a sense of control and calming takes over, as (in starvation) the level of serotonin produced drops. Another way to "self-treat" the over-production of serotonin is purging, which temporarily relieves the tension, shame, and stress that characterizes eating disorders. This basically translates into a reasonable explanation of why we do what we do. Chemically and emotionally, we feel much needed relief after a purge or restriction, which encourages us to continue with it, and it's the fastest easiest way that we can see to find that calming zone. People predisposed to EDs may have a family history of alcoholism or drug addiction. Serotonin disruptions tend to run in some families, disorders such as bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder, ADD/ADHD, and OCD can occur frequently in some family trees.
Distorted perceptions and thinking are another factor in the creation of an ED. We feel fat and disgusting after eating, like we have no self-control and WHAT IS WRONG WITH US? Its very confusing and aggravating, because all we know if feeling horrible after eating, and feeling powerful when we restrict or purge.
