Eating Disorders and Ritual Abuse

There are several types of eating disorders. One is anorexia nervosa, in which the person struggling with this disorder starves themselves. Anorexia has many causes, but a root need for control and underlying depression has been noted by therapists who work with it, combined with a negative self image and self hatred. The self-hatred becomes focused on body image and fat. Some survivors with this disorder have confided that they starved themselves as adolescents to delay the onset of menstruation, to delay the development of breasts, or other characteristics. Others with male alters wanted the flat chest that being thin can bring. And others starve themselves to numb the pain. Current research into anorexia is showing that high serotonin levels are associated with anxiety and feeling distressed, and some researchers have theorized that starvation decreases this excess serotonin and effectively helps to block these uncomfortable feelings.

Another eating disorder is known as bulimia. This disorder is characterized by swings between bingeing, or eating large amounts of food (often past the point of discomfort) within a short period of time, and then purging the body of the calories or food. Purging is accomplished by taking laxatives, vomiting, taking diuretics, excessive exercise, or starvation after bingeing. Often the person with bulimia feels that they cannot control their binges, and feel ashamed afterwards. The purging is “punishment” for eating.

Janna struggled with bulimia for years. She never told anyone, not even her sister or best friends. It started her senior year in high school when she had gained some weight. Desperate to shed pounds, she began vomiting after eating large measl. She also began using laxatives to “clear out” the calories. “I knew I needed help,” she states, “But I was ashamed to tell anyone.” Finally, at the age of 27, her bulimia was out of control. It seemed to get worse when she was stressed, and being promoted to a management position made it intensity. At that point she entered counseling, and began looking at some of the causes of the depression and pain that had filled her life for as long as she could remember.

The third eating disorder recognized by experts is known as binge disorder. Like bulimia, the person has uncontrollable food cravings, and will binge to the point of abdominal pain in some

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