Brave Girl Eating

Answer 1

"I've never had anorexia, but I've lived with it. I've observed it closely in someone I love: my oldest daughter, Kitty, who was 14 when she got sick. I watched as the upbeat, affectionate, empathetic girl I knew became furious and irrational, withdrawn and depressed, obsessed with food but unable to eat. I saw her writhe in terror, heard her beg my husband and me for help and then, in the same breath, shriek that we were trying to poison her, to make her fat, to kill her. I heard a voice I did not recognize come out of her mouth, saw her face changed beyond knowing. I held her in my arms and felt the arc of every rib, counted the bones in her elbows, saw her breastbone press out through the paper-thin skin of her chest. I felt her body shake and knew that whatever comfort I offered it wasn't enough, it was nothing in the face of the thing that was stripping the flesh from her bones and the light from her eyes. I had no idea anorexia was like that."

Excerpt from Brave Girl Eating: A Family's Struggle with Anorexia, by Harriet Brown (William Morrow, 2010)

Anorexia, an eating disorder that affects millions of men and women, continues to claim the lives of people of all ages. A new book just released last year tells the compelling story of a mother who helped her daughter live through it.

Women and men in their 30s, 40s and 50s are now seeking treatment in increasing numbers, challenging beliefs that eating disorders occur mostly in adolescent girls.

How do you know if you might have an eating disorder? If you are in pain, about the size of your body, no matter what size it is; If you think you should weigh something different, that your body is the wrong size;

If you are depressed that another year has gone by and you find yourself in the same struggle with food and weight and self-loathing, then it's time to get help. Pro Recovery Blogs (http://www.eatingdisorderhope.com/resources-blogs-and-newsletters.html) are a great place to find bits of wisdom, insight and hope to carry us through our daily recovery journey. Many find it helpful to read through a couple of pro-recovery blogs to start their day, often easy to do each day. Learn more about the book at harrietbrown.com.