Wasted: A Memoir of Anorexia and Bulimia by Marya Hornbacher

901 Words2 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. Section One: The Life of Marya Hornbacher Marya Hornbacher was born on April 4th, 1974, her parents were well-known actors and directors in Walnut Creek, California. She led a chaotic childhood, consisting of a major move to Minnesota, an anxiety disorder, and most of all, perfectionism everywhere she turned, “I always felt there was an expectation that I would do one of two things: be great at something, or go crazy and become a total failure. There is no middle ground where I come from,” (Hornbacher, 281). Marya developed bulimia when she was nine years old, and when she moved away to attending boarding school at fifteen, she became anorexic. Her parents saw it as a phase and Marya did not go into treatment for another seven years, since then, she has had several relapses. Marya wrote her ... ... middle of paper ... .... Interviews, Insights & More... 2006. Marya Hornbacher talks about herself and her memoir. Wasted: A Memoir, New York, NY. Hornbacher, Marya. Wasted: A Memoir of Anorexia and Bulimia. New York, NY: HarperCollins, 1998. Print. O’Hara, Sarah K., and Katherine Clegg Smith. "Presentation of Eating Disorders in the News Media: What Are the Implications for Patient Diagnosis and Treatment?" Patient Education and Counseling 68.1 (2007): 43-51. Print. "Public Perception of Eating Disorders." The Ranch. The Ranch, n.d. Web. 09 Feb. 2014. Smith, Melinda, and Jeanne Segal. "Anorexia Nervosa." Signs, Symptoms, Causes, And Treatment. Help Guide, n.d. Web. 06 Feb. 2014. Thompson-Brenner, Heather, Dana A. Satir, Debra L. Franko, and David B. Herzog. "Clinician Reactions to Patients With Eating Disorders: A Review of the Literature." Psychiatric Services 63.01 (2012): 73-78. Print.

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