Abuse and Eating Disorders
Abuse and Eating Disorders
Silverchair. (1999). “Ana’s Song”:
“And you’re my obsession.
I love you to the bones
And Ana wrecks your life,
Like an anorexic life.”
In 2011, The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services reported that one in four girls had experienced sexual abuse by the age of eighteen; this number excludes victims of psychological or physical abuse. Additionally, The National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (1991) estimates that one in two hundred girls will develop anorexia nervosa and six in two hundred girls will develop bulimia nervosa by the age of eighteen. Through highlighting how American girls react to neglect, societal expectations, fear, and control, I will show how the psychological effects of being abused lead to the harsh reality of living with anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa.
Neglect
Neglect is often disregarded as a form of mental abuse; however, it instills a lack of self-esteem in the mind of the abused, which can often lead to grave psychological consequences. Many parents rush and do not set aside time to take sufficient care of their children. Mothers and fathers walk in and out of their homes, they pass and do not see; they hear and do not listen. Many parents put countless affairs before their families, neglecting to show warmth and love to their children. In consequence, they fail to notice the suffering of their offspring. Although both boys and girls deal with inadequate parents, the latter are more prone to blaming themselves for their parents’ absence and oblivion. Children may attempt to repair their familial bonds when usually there is nothing to repair except their parents’ incompetence. In an attempt to become important to their mother or father, a daughter “adopts the idea that it is not the caretaker who is inadequate but rather that her needs are inappropriate and should be denied” (Orbach, 1986). With this mind frame, the daughter suppresses
Silverchair. (1999). “Ana’s Song”:
“And you’re my obsession.
I love you to the bones
And Ana wrecks your life,
Like an anorexic life.”
In 2011, The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services reported that one in four girls had experienced sexual abuse by the age of eighteen; this number excludes victims of psychological or physical abuse. Additionally, The National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (1991) estimates that one in two hundred girls will develop anorexia nervosa and six in two hundred girls will develop bulimia nervosa by the age of eighteen. Through highlighting how American girls react to neglect, societal expectations, fear, and control, I will show how the psychological effects of being abused lead to the harsh reality of living with anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa.
Neglect
Neglect is often disregarded as a form of mental abuse; however, it instills a lack of self-esteem in the mind of the abused, which can often lead to grave psychological consequences. Many parents rush and do not set aside time to take sufficient care of their children. Mothers and fathers walk in and out of their homes, they pass and do not see; they hear and do not listen. Many parents put countless affairs before their families, neglecting to show warmth and love to their children. In consequence, they fail to notice the suffering of their offspring. Although both boys and girls deal with inadequate parents, the latter are more prone to blaming themselves for their parents’ absence and oblivion. Children may attempt to repair their familial bonds when usually there is nothing to repair except their parents’ incompetence. In an attempt to become important to their mother or father, a daughter “adopts the idea that it is not the caretaker who is inadequate but rather that her needs are inappropriate and should be denied” (Orbach, 1986). With this mind frame, the daughter suppresses
References: Goli, S., (2012). Dictionary.com. Lexico Publishing Group. Retrieved November 29, 2012, from http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/purge?s=t Gordon, R.A Orbach, S. (1986). Hunger Strike. Harmondsworth Radiohead (1992) Schwartz, M.F. & Cohen, L. (1996). Sexual Abuse and Eating Disorders. New York: Brunner/Mazel Shapira, L Silverchair. (1999). Ana’s Song (Open Fire). On Neon Ballroom [CD]. Australia: Sony Sullivan, P.F U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2011). Child Abuse and Neglect Statistics. Washington, DC. Retrieved from http://www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/statistics/can.cfm