Hidden Pain

1354 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Depression and its effects in adolescents

Many have agreed that the stages of adolescence are the most difficult times in a person’s life. During this period, too many people find themselves suffering in silence, and turning to harmful behaviors such as, cutting, burning, extreme dieting, and even suicide as a method of dealing with their pain. I fell victim to these factors as well. Day in and day out I starved myself to achieve perfection that did not exist. Purged every bite I was forced to ingest in hopes of ridding myself of all pain and emotional baggage. I ran my emaciated, eighty five pound, body into the ground as a method of coping with life. However, I smiled, laughed, and pretended like everything was great when I was with my family. After several years of struggling with the thoughts associated with Anorexia Nervosa I never told anyone. I was embarrassed, and the thoughts and feelings did not make sense to me. I am close with each of my parents and I still did not want to take the risk of disappointing them. Even though my peers witnessed my unhealthy behaviors they did not tell an adult. Looking back I began to wonder why. Why would they let me harm myself like that right in front of their eyes? My behaviors did not make sense to them, and my threats of hatred and relationship abolishment overpowered their logic. It became apparent to me that this is all too common in high schools especially. Programs for students, teachers, and parents regarding education about noticing warning signs, and addressing self-harming behaviors do not exist, and need to be installed to ensure more methods of prevention and treatment of self-harming activities. I admitted to treatment and received help before my eating disorder killed me. Unfortunately, not everyone is given the ... ... middle of paper ... ...ke a problem does not exist does not make it disappear. So, how many more children have to get hurt or die before preventative measures are taken? Just because the person may not be your child, best friend, or sibling does not mean that they are not someone else’s. If more adults are educated about how to recognize warning signs, and more children are given outlets for discussing, then more lives can be helped and saved before it is too late. Even though it is downright scary, and may not make sense to you, if you are harming yourself or considering to do so, if you know or think that your friend is harming themselves, or if you are concerned about your child, confront them, and get them the help that they deserve. No doubt, it will be uncomfortable for all of you; but, temporary discomfort is much better than mourning the death of a child, sibling, and best friend.

Show More
Related

  • Eating Disorders: Behind the Scenes

    764 Words  | 2 Pages

    I sat down and interviewed a person who has overcome bulimia nervosa and she described many of the things I have listed here today. She went through many pains and troubles through her time of ?sickness?. She asked to remain nameless, so I shall respect her wish. She was a gymnast who had to maintain a certain body weight to compete in competitions. She would self induce vomiting before her weigh in sessions so she would be under the weight limit. She let me know that this was the worst time of her life, and she is so thankful she is one of the survivors.

    Read More

  • Mental Health Case Study

    940 Words  | 2 Pages

    Too many children who try and speak about the way they’re feeling are being let down or simply ignored. As a result of this neglect many young people are resorting to self-harm as a way to cope or in some extreme cases think about ending their own

    Read More

  • pain

    1144 Words  | 3 Pages

    Toby-Finn, a 21 year-old Caucasian gentleman, is presented to the Emergency Department with a chief complaint of severe abdominal pain. Toby-Finn, who is a full time college student was just discharged three days ago from the Medical Surgical Unit status post laparoscopy appendectomy. Upon arrival to the Emergency Department, Toby-Finn has a computed tomography of the abdomen, and he is diagnosed with Ischemic Necrosis of Small Bowel, and required to go under another abdominal surgery. Toby-Finn was given a total of four milligrams of Morphine Sulfate intravenously, five milligrams of Reglan intravenously, and one liter of Normal Saline intravenously in the Emergency Department. The admitting physician, Dr. Sophie had contacted the surgeon, Dr. Scarlett for emergency surgery. In the meantime, Dr.Sophie had provided a written order for pain management to keep the patient comfortable.

    Read More

  • Eating Disorders in the Untied States

    1507 Words  | 4 Pages

    Eating Disorders are on a rapid rise in the United States today, they sweep the halls of Junior High School, High Schools, College Campuses and even Elementary Schools. These disorders are often referred to by professionals as the “Deadly Diet,” however you may know them as Anorexia or Bulimia. Eating disorder effect more than 20% of young females and males in today’s society. Ranging in age from thirteen to forty. It is very rare for a child of a young age to not know someone who is suffering from an eating disorder or symptoms that are associated with one. Statistically it has been proven that one out of every five young woman suffer from serious issues dealing with eating and or weight. (Bruch, 25)

    Read More

  • Persuasive Essay On Eating Disorders

    920 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...trying to please society and get that perfect model-like body that’s portrayed as what all people should look like. “The inner voices of anorexia and bulimia whisper that you'll never be happy until you lose weight, that your worth is measured by how you look. But the truth is that happiness and self-esteem come from loving yourself for who you truly are—and that's only possible with recovery. Whatever your age or gender, it may seem like there's no escape from your eating disorder, but it's within your reach. With treatment, support, and these self-help strategies, you can overcome your eating disorder and gain true self-confidence” (Eating Disorder Treatment and Recovery). For most, rehab is the place to get help, but I believe that home and family is the best help for recovery! Family is a good constant and caring motivation that will back you up on anything.

    Read More

  • Anorexia

    3392 Words  | 7 Pages

    12. Jantz, Gregory L. PH.D. Hope, Help, & Healing for Eating Disorders. Wheaton: Zondervan. 1995.

    Read More

  • I Have an Eating Disorder

    547 Words  | 2 Pages

    I suffer from anorexia nervosa. I am one of 24 million people in the United States that suffers from an eating disorder and I am only one in ten of those people that has received treatment for my lifestyle (Noordenbox, et al). Multiple doctors, therapists, social workers, and treatment facilities have put forth their time and effort to try and put me and others like me on a path towards recovery. Every educated mind fighting this battle though is waging a war that cannot be won on the current grounds it is being fought. A steady torrent of magazines glamorizing thigh gaps, movies showing perfectly sculpted bodies, photographs showcasing flawless models, and an unrelenting advertising market built around fake and unrealistic projections of perfection is constantly pouring into young eyes and washing through young minds. The greed fueled monster known as the American media is fostering a more welcome environment for eating disorders in the American youth and undermining kind-hearted efforts to save lives from the lifestyle with the highest mortality rate of any mental illness (Noordenbox, et al).

    Read More

  • Eating Disorders

    1282 Words  | 3 Pages

    As one can see, eating disorders are real diseases with a biological basis that affect the brain and body and should be treated as any other disease. At least 24 million Americans suffer from eating disorders, which have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness. Twenty percent of people with eating disorders will die prematurely due to complications related to the disease. Schizophrenia, depression and a...

    Read More

  • We Must Work Together to Defeat Eating Disorders

    1857 Words  | 4 Pages

    The main problem is that many Americans are suffering from an eating disorder that takes over their lives in a mental and physical state. The Centers of Disease Control and Prevention needs to take note of this problem and look into this solution. Many Americans struggle with an eating disorder their entire life because they think that they are fine or they are too afraid to admit that they have a problem. All victims of eating disorders need to realize that there are thousands of other people in the United States that are struggling with the same problem. By developing classes taught by survivors, the victims understand that the...

    Read More

  • Eating Disorders during Adolescence

    1894 Words  | 4 Pages

    The stage of adolescence contains major changes which can bring stress, confusion, and anxiety. Feelings of self-consciousness, low self esteem and comparison with peers start occurring during this time. Along with the physical changes there is also hormonal and brain changes that affect the adolescent physically, mentally, emotionally, and psychologically. During this time a person can feel tremendous pressure to find their place in the world among a great deal of confusion (“Eating Disorders and Adolescence,” 2013). Body image concerns and peer pressure are heightened during the period of adolescence, and are potential risk factors in the development of an eating disorder. While eating disorders can affects males and females of all ages, the average age of onset for Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, and disordered eating takes place during adolescence. These disorders are often a coping mechanism for people to attempt to gain control of their situation when they feel helpless among other aspects of life (“Eating Disorders and Adolescence,” 2013). Eating disorders in children and teens can lead to a number of serious physical problems and even death (Kam, n.d.).

    Read More

  • Wasted: A Memoir of Anorexia and Bulimia by Marya Hornbacher

    901 Words  | 2 Pages

    Anorexic: this word is an adjective, a label, and to some, a lifestyle. Medically speaking, it is someone who suffers from the deadly and heartbreaking disease, Anorexia Nervosa. This term translates to “nervous loss of appetite”, but anyone who has battled through this sickness is aware how that is anything but true. Eating disorder patients do not, in fact, lose their appetite; there is more to it than that. Many perceive eating disorders as a choice to be thin, a diet, or a cry for attention; they do not see the mental destruction going on inside of the mind. Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness, yet only 30% of people fully recover (ANAD). The general mindset that society has about eating disorders walks hand in hand with these statistics, slowing down any advances patients may be able to make. Eating disorder patients are not getting proper treatment because of ignorant misconceptions about the illness.

    Read More

  • Personal Narrative : My Eating Disorder

    1081 Words  | 3 Pages

    Christmas eve ended with me crying on our living room floor because my mom wanted me to eat just one of her famous sugar cookies. Her cookies had always been one of my favorite Christmas traditions, but this year when I looked at the cookies, all I could see were calories and guilt. They smelled and looked delicious, but just the thought of taking one bite filled me with anxiety and fear. I consider this the moment I realized my eating disorder had completely taken over my life. I had become obsessed with calories and weight as a way to feel in control of my life and gain confidence. In reality, my eating disorder had slowly stripped me of my independence, health, and happiness. After that Christmas, I finally decided to seek help after months of struggling, and at the age of 17, I began an intensive outpatient treatment program.

    Read More

  • Self Harm in Adolescence

    1432 Words  | 3 Pages

    Some say that the teenage years are one of the most challenging and trying times in an individual’s life. Many changes take place, both emotionally and physically, which sometimes can give the feeling of excitement… or in other cases… complete confusion and utter turmoil. Because emotions tend to run high during this period of life due to hormones, some teens resort to an unhealthy way of coping to deal with their emotional pain. This unhealthy way of dealing with emotional pain is also known as self injury. Self injury (or self harm) is widely known to take place during the teenage years up until the early years of adulthood (ages 14-24)when judgments become more defined, criticism becomes harsher, and limits are tested. The transition from childhood to adulthood may sound exciting and adventurous to some, but to others, it’s a nightmare they wish they could wake up from.

    Read More

  • Persuasive Essay On Depression And Suicide

    745 Words  | 2 Pages

    A young, teenage girl sits with her friends, talking, laughing, and making jokes. She seems completely normal and happy, even. What people don’t know is that this is nothing but a mask covering the loneliness that seems to run through her veins, and the unexplainable sadness that never goes away. She fears speaking of it, of admitting the uncontrollable hatred she feels for everything about herself, so much that she contemplates ending it all. The fact is, suicide is the third leading cause for death in people under the age of twenty-five. Our country needs to stop seeing this as a casual thing. Depression, anxiety, and suicide in youth are real and serious issues that we need to be more aware of in today’s society.

    Read More

  • Pain: A Part Of Life

    958 Words  | 2 Pages

    "There is much pain that is quite noiseless; and that make human agonies are often a mere whisper in the of hurrying existence. There are glances of hatred that stab and raise no cry of murder; robberies that leave man of woman for ever beggared of peace and joy, yet kept secret by the sufferer-committed to no sound except that of low moans in the night, seen in no writing except that made on the face by the slow months of suppressed anguish and early morning tears. Many an inherited sorrow that has marred a life has been breathed into no human ear." George Eliot (1819-80), English novelist,editor. Felis Holt, the Radical, Introduction (1866).What is pain? In the American Heritage Dictionary, pain is referred to as "an unpleasant sensation occurring in varying degrees of severity as a consequence of injury, disease, or emotional disorder." The word is rooted in Middle English, from an Old French piene, from Latin poena, meaning "penalty or pain", and from Greek pointe, meaning "penalty." Pain is a very realistic problem that many individuals face daily.

    Read More

More about Hidden Pain

Open Document