Who is at risk for developing anorexia nervosa?
People who become anorexic often were good children --
eager to please, conscientious, hard working, and good
students. Typically they are people pleasers who seek
approval and avoid conflict. They may take care of
other people and strive for perfection, but underneath
they feel defective and inadequate. They want to be
special, to stand out from the mediocre masses. They
try to achieve that goal by losing weight and being
thin.
Some clinicians believe that the symptoms of anorexia
are a kind of symbolic language used by people who
don't know how to, or are afraid to, express powerful
emotions directly, with words. For example, making
one's body tiny and thin may substitute for, "I'm not
ready to grow up yet," or "I'm starving for
attention." Refusing to eat may translate to "I won't
let you control me!"
People who develop anorexia often feel stressed and
anxious when faced with new situations. Many are......
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