Anorexia is not a choice

[brightrosefox]

I was reading an article about how anorexia may be a disease, and another personal opinion that anorexia is just stupidity and ignorance.

People who insist that anorexia is a choice and entirely the fault of the "victim" make me want to cry. I never chose to go through that torture. I never wanted to starve myself. Why the hell would I want to do that? I truly felt that something had overcome me, and I was pushed far back inside myself, beating against the walls of my own psyche, screaming. Do you really think I would have spent all those years hurting myself on purpose? It hurt to eat, it physically hurt. More than a few bites and I was in pain. Yeah, that's a fucking choice.
It hurt worse when my own mother said it, that it had been a choice on my part to continue the cycle. I don't blame her for thinking that, but then she really doesn't know much about the inner workings of anorexia -- she didn't even know I was sick until long after I had recovered.
But the people who know, and still think it's a "stupid decision" hurt me. I really don't think any of these people have ever had an eating disorder.

Comments

[neenjacowboy.livejournal.com]

Can I say I know exactly how you feel? No... I've never had to deal with that sort of pain. But I can relate because like anorexia and other eating disorders, homosexuality is often thought of as a choice.

I think it has something to do with the fact that everyone thinks about it at some point... has the opportunity and desire to act on it, but they can't or won't for one reason or another.

Now I'm not saying that homosexuality is a disorder -- it's absolutely normal and healthy according to all the anthropologists I know. But the social stigma that comes with it... that's the problem.

One day we'll understand... we'll wake up and realize the truths we can't see now... How to embrace it, avoid it, proclaim it or denounce it. At least we've been able to see part of it through our own journey.

[brightrosefox.livejournal.com]

*hugs you* In a weird way, I kind of feel sorry for these people; they just cannot accept what is strange or new for their way of thinking. They live so long and hard in their own world, their own faith, that to realize that things are changing must be terrifying. I can see why they lash out at us. Believe me, I understand, having recently embraced my bisexuality -- and even among the gay/lesbian community, bisexuals can have it rough -- and it's all about standing strong and taller than the ones trying to cut you down. They just want to hurt others so they feel better about justifying themselves.
Besides, homosexuality is incredibly natural, according to Mother Nature. It's humanity that has the biggest problem with it.