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The worst addiction?

© Heather Mudgett.

As a thirty year old woman, who has suffered with an eating disorder for more than half my life, I have come to wonder... is an eating disorder perhaps the worst addiction a person can have?

The alcoholic and the drug addict, suffer terribly with their addictions. However, when working towards recovery, they have the ability (however difficult) to remove the focus of their addiction from their lives. The alcoholic avoids public bars and removes all alcohol from his or her home. The drug addict can change his or her circle of friends from other addicts to a more supportive, healthy group. The anorexic and/or bulimic will have to deal with the focus of their addiction every day of their lives. Food is something that we all must have contact with every day. It is a necessity of life. I am in no way trying to minimize the incredible difficulties faced by alocoholics and drug addicts... I am simply pointing out, the daily struggle that a recovering eating disorder patient faces.

What I have have learned through past treatment is that the food and body image are not the only problems to be delt with. If anything, they are major symptoms of a much bigger problem. Other areas of a person's life may often be the true cause(s) of their eating disorder. Relationships with family and/or friends may combine with a very poor self esteem and lead to the eating disorders.

Future articles will delve deeper into the sad, complex world of the eating disorder sufferer. I will share some of my own stories, as well as those of other eating disorder sufferers that I have met along the way. Possible causes will be discussed, as well as therapy and treatment options and ideas.

I do not profess to be a teacher, doctor, or specialist of any kind in the field of eating disorders. I am simply one who has suffered with eating disorders for many years and my goal is to help educate and offer support to those who suffer or have suffered with the disorder(s), as well as their families and friends.