How to Defeat Harmful Habits (Counseling Through the Bible Series) (24 page)

Neglect, abuse, and a desperate search for significance all drew Ellen into the competitive realm of chronic overachieving, where she felt compelled to be “the best.” In high school, she was a cheerleader who shone on the sidelines and a runner who raced competitively around the track. She maintained an average weight of 110 pounds during her first three years, but as a senior, something snapped, and Ellen determined she wasn’t
thin
enough.

From January to March Ellen lost 15 pounds, largely due to her new diet. Nothing for breakfast, an apple and Diet Coke for lunch, and as little as she could get away with for dinner. During lunch at school, Ellen had to sit on a heater because she was always cold—her
necessary
body fat was disappearing along with her necessary pounds.

Looking back, Ellen wondered how she even endured. Despite her rigid diet, she still participated actively in track and cheerleading. Following each evening meal—consisting of only 200 to 300 calories—she would go for an hour-long evening run. All the while, her body sustained yet another form of abuse—bruises from her father’s hurtful hands.

After high school, Ellen started working in a restaurant, an irony for someone trying to avoid food. But soon her willpower weakened and bulimia dominated her life. She often purged during breaks at work and adopted two other hurtful habits as well: Looking for liquor to numb all the pain (Ellen became a heavy drinker) and looking for love in all the wrong places (Ellen became promiscuous).

Ellen’s food binges continued, but because she didn’t like throwing up, soon the unthinkable occurred—her pant size swelled and “fat comments” start coming her way. Ellen quickly figured out another way to get rid of the pounds—laxatives, building up to 60 a day. Laxative abuse took a tremendous toll on Ellen’s body, and eventually purging made its way back into the picture. As a result, Ellen became extremely dehydrated and weak. Because she had to climb three flights of stairs when she arrived home from work, she was exhausted by the time she got to her room and needed a full hour to recuperate.

There she lay at 78 pounds…with excruciating pain coursing through her body. Ellen frequently woke up screaming in the middle of the night from agonizing muscle cramps in her legs. She suffered from other signs of starvation as well—brittle hair, much of which had fallen out, and she hadn’t menstruated for three years. And her eyes had become dull and lifeless, signifying a soul barely surviving. “I wasn’t living, only existing.”
³⁷

Tender concern from siblings and a brother-in-law and new health benefits from her job finally prompted Ellen to see a doctor. Following some blood work, a shocking discovery was made. Ellen’s sodium and potassium levels were the lowest the doctor had
ever
seen. He said if he hadn’t known the levels came from Ellen, he would have thought they came from
a dead person
! Ellen realized, “I literally could have died any day with my heart giving out.”
³⁸

After struggling with eating disorders for 12 years, Ellen finally received the medical attention she so desperately needed. She also found emotional and spiritual healing for her deep wounds. God provided an insightful Christian counselor who helped her “dig up and out”
³⁹
a myriad of painful issues rooted in her childhood. And the counselor also helped draw Ellen to Christ. “Our relationship isn’t one-sided anymore,”
⁴⁰
Ellen beamed, because she now knows God never left her side.

The words
passionate
and
compassionate
describe Ellen—as well as
happily married, wife, mother
, and
personal trainer/nutritionist
who teaches moderation. No longer does she compulsively count calories, obsess over food, or gulp down laxatives—her focus now is on balanced nutrition for optimal health and energy. Once on the verge of death, Ellen is now completely healed and full of life—a life of moderation. And it’s all because of the Giver of Life. “I thank God every day for…saving my life,” Ellen gratefully shared. “I may have given up on myself, but He didn’t give up on me!”
*
⁴¹

*
NOTE
: Today, Ellen Teall is available to speak about eating disorders, nutrition, and girls’ self-esteem issues at schools, churches, and civic events.

Victoria Beckham, in her autobiography, admits to having an eating disorder and being consumed with her appearance while singing with the Spice Girls. “It was awful,” she recollects. “I was very obsessed. I could have told you the calorie and fat content in anything.”
⁴²
A picture published in a British newspaper was accompanied by the headline “Skeletal Spice.”

H
OW
A
NOREXIA
A
FFECTS
Y
OUR
B
ODY

•
Brain and Nerves

– Cognitive impairment, disordered thinking, extreme forgetfulness, seizures due to malnutrition

– Irrational fear of weight gain

– Sadness, depression

– Moodiness, irritability

– Fainting, dizziness

– Changes in brain chemistry

– Numbness or sensations in hands or feet (neuropathy)

– Structural changes (reduction in gray matter) and abnormal brain activity (sometimes permanent)

•
Hair

– Thinning hair gives a balding appearance

– Brittle hair falls out, white fuzz (called
lanugo
) appears on the body to help keep it warm

•
Heart

– Reduced blood flow

– Slow heart rate, irregular rhythms

– Abnormally low blood pressure

– Fluttering of the heart (palpitations)

– Decreased size of heart—muscles shrink from starvation

– Electrolyte imbalance/death

– Heart failure

– Heart attack

•
Blood

– Anemia

– Low levels of vitamin B12, causing anemia

– Low production of blood cells

– Lack of red blood cells (at life-threatening levels)

•
Malnutrition

– Low body weight

– Respiratory infections

– Brittle nails

– Blindness

– Death

•
Psychological Problems

– Distorted view—seeing themselves as fat even though they are “skin and bones”

– Anxiety, depression, suicidal

– Insomnia

•
Pregnancy Problems

– Infertility

– Miscarriage

– C-section

– Complicated deliveries

– Baby with low birth weight

– Birth defects

– Postpartum depression

•
Muscles, Joints, and Bones

– Muscle atrophy (wasting away of muscle and decrease in muscle mass) resulting from the body feeding off of itself

– Weak muscles, swollen joints, temporary paralysis

– Chronic Fatigue Syndrome related to weakened immune system

– Loss of bone minerals (osteopenia)

– Loss of bone density (osteoporosis), fractures, brittle bones

– Lack of hormones and vitamins (arthritis)

– Failure to develop strong bones in children and teenage girls

– Retarded growth in children and adolescents

– Stunted growth in boys due to declining testosterone levels

•
Kidneys

– Kidney stones

– Kidney failure

•
Body Fluids

– Dehydration leading to kidney failure, seizures, brain damage

– Low potassium, magnesium, sodium, and electrolyte imbalance, causing heart failure

Note:

– Hyponatremia (insufficient sodium in the blood) can result from drinking too much water too quickly, causing the lungs to fill with fluid, the brain to swell, vomiting, confusion, and death.

– Edema (swelling of soft tissues) can result from excess water retention.

– Refeeding Syndrome (life-threatening fluid and electrolyte shifts) can result from aggressive nutritional support therapies—nutritional support needs to increase slowly.

•
Intestines/Gastrointestinal Problems

– Abdominal pain, cramps, and bloating

– Constipation and diarrhea

– Gastric rupture, stomach erosion, or perforation

– Gastrointestinal bleeding, Crohn’s disease

•
Hormones

– Cessation of menstrual cycle (amenorrhea)—when fat levels drop below 22 percent of normal weight, deficiency in fat (essential for good health), causing menstrual cycles to stop

– Growth stunted

– Lower reproductive hormones

– Low thyroid levels

– Higher stress hormone levels

– Hypoglycemia—low blood sugar, causing fatigue, dizziness, headaches

•
Skin

– Bruises easily

– Dry yellow skin

– Growth of fine hair all over body (lanugo)

– Low body temperatures

– Brittle nails

– Dark circles under the eyes

•
Dental Problems

– Decalcification of teeth

– Erosion of tooth enamel

– Severe staining and decay

– Gum disease

•
Organ Problems

– Prolonged lack of calories lead to dangerously high blood levels of liver enzymes

– Multiple organ failure results in death

– Pancreatitis can result from digestive enzymes related to repeated stomach trauma

•
Weight Swings or Drops

– The self-starvation of the anorexic causes the body weight to get so low that kidneys and other organs start to shut down, leading to death.

Make no mistake—anorexia is life-threatening. Therefore, don’t be in denial. Like this admission in the Psalms, admit your anguish and weakness. That’s the first step toward healing.

“My life is consumed by anguish and my years by groaning; my strength fails because of my affliction, and my bones grow weak”

(P
SALM
31:10).

N
OTE:
If you are experiencing any of these physical or emotional problems, be sure to consult your health care professional immediately.

In the same way that the entire body is impacted by the presence of life-sustaining food, the body—including the brain—is also affected when there is an absence of food. Sufferers will find it increasingly more difficult to make sound decisions because their mind is not sharp and their thinking is murky. They are unable to know the peace of God because their minds are unable to trust completely in God. The Bible says this about God:

“You [God] will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you”

(I
SAIAH
26:3).

A recent study has shown that brain function in those who suffered and recovered from anorexia is different from those who have never suffered from an eating disorder.
⁴³
For example: