Topic : 03/15 Starving for Perfection

I wish that Dr. Phil would do a show with girls that are anorexic that don't look like this!  Our country needs to be more aware of this horrible disease!  I have a 23 year old daughter that has been in and out of treatment for anorexia for 4 years.  When was 1st diagnosed she was 120 lbs., and looked like a normal teenager.  She hid it very well.  She didn't look like these women or Karen Carpenter that we all think an anorexic looks like. 

She was a dancer.  She danced 6-8 hours a day in college.  When she wasn't dancing she was working out or running.  To make a long story short, we found out about her problem when we discovered her body was eating away at her heart for the protein it needed.  She was 19 years old and we almost lost her!!! 

She is a very intelligent girl, and took nutrition as a passion as early as 13 years old, we thought she just knew how to eat smart, we didn't know that the amount of calories she was consuming would not sustain her body as active as she was.  She has so brainwashed herself against food that there are almost no safe foods for her. 

She lost her dreams!  She was at a predominant university and they ask her leave because of her health issues.  She had dreams of being a professional dancer, and her world ended because of this disease.  It was a childhood dream, her dream is gone.  Now she is a 23 year old that doesn't know how to build a new dream.  The eating disorder is her best friend!  She basically can't remember life without it.  She is brilliant, a talented writer, very talented artist, has a natural talent with children, so much is going for her, but she can't see it. 

She has been in one of the best treatment centers twice for 6 month stays at a time, after this last inpatient treatment she remained in the town of the treatment center to allow to stay with her treatment team on an outpatient basis.  She is working so hard at recovery, yet only making baby steps! 

Dr. Phil...please let America know that these girls are everywhere!!!!  We just don't recognize them soon enough!!!!

She really needs to meet someone that is truely recovered, because as much as she wants it, she is not sure it is possible.

Moms everywhere...pay attention to what your kids are doing, and how they are really feeling! 

dr phil is on here right now and i am watching it. i cried when her sister was talking about her. it is sad. i just cant figure out based on what she is eating how can she physically walk 5 miles a day! the human body is amazing i guess. heck i dont eat breakfast and i can hardly get ready for work! but the human brain can do some crazy things if everything isnt in order up there.

i hope for this woman's sake that she is able to over come this for her twin sister. i dont have a sister but feel for her.

God bless all these women (and men) who suffer from these kinds of illnesses. Hopefully they have the strength and courage to overcome. And God bless their families who stand by them and have to deal w/ the illness, too.

Women, especially, need to stop listening to the so-called "fashion and beauty experts" (and HollyWEIRD). God gave you brains and hearts and all that you need to make good, healthy decisions. The packaging on the outside means SOOOOO little. I had gained 110 since marrying my husband (we're been married 17 years), and there's not a day that goes by that he doesn't call me "beautiful" or desire me. There are many men (and women) out there who KNOW that what's important is not on the outside. I've met lots of "beautiful ugly people!"

I don't understand - 20 miles a day?  1200 leg lifts?  I wouldn't even have TIME to do this.  Do these women have nothing else in their lives?  For how long have they had nothing else to do???  I know it's psychological, and an illness, but I just don't understand where they even find time to be anorexic if that's what it entails.  For crying out loud, I don't even have time to take a shower some days, or stay in bed with the flu if I get sick. 

I know that a lot of you are gonna jump on me but I couldn't even watch the show.  I have no sympathy for these women.  I am a recovering anorexic, I will never be "cured" this will stay with me for life.  I was diagnosed at age 11, almost died from galbladder surgery at 19 and I am now 40.  From what little I saw, these women are not getting the attention they crave from their familie and friends so they therefore went on Dr. Phil.  I know from personal experience that anorexia is a very personal problem.  You do what you can to hide it. 

I think they are just attention seekers at this point.  This is not the first show he has done on these women and they  just disgust me.  If they have the courage to go on national television to discuss it, then they have the courage to overcome it in the privacy of their own homes, with the support of their family and friends.

You ask "Do I think they are doing this for the attention?"  No, I think it started out legitimate, with this disease, and it IS a disease, a lifelong disease, but they did not get the attention they needed at home, so they came on to this national forum to feed a need.  What need?  Maybe attention?  I don't know.

All I do know is that they sicken me.  If you have the courage to stand in front of millions of viewers, then you have the courage to cure yourself.

Belive me I KNOW!

Not sure this has been mentioned yet, but just today this was reported: