Elena Vanishing

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of mental illness (including psychosis), disordered eating (anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa), and self-harm.

Anorexia nervosa is a psychological disorder characterized by a refusal to consume enough nutrition to sustain the body. People with anorexia often do not realize the severity of their disorder, even when it threatens their lives. As a result, anorexia is the leading cause of death among psychiatric conditions (not including substance use disorder). Anorexia manifests in the form of a severe fear of gaining weight but can stem from many other sources. While the disorder does have a genetic component, it is also correlated with negative life experiences such as sexual assault or domestic abuse. 

As the disorder usually begins sometime during adolescence, it often occurs alongside the formation of identity and can therefore be extremely difficult to recover from. Anorexia also “feeds itself” in the sense that a person with anorexia will not have an accurate perception of their own body or health and thus will continue to avoid eating in order to achieve more weight loss. Anorexia comes with the stigma of all mental illnesses, along with its own unique stigma because it may be visible. People with anorexia who are underweight are often judged at first glance, which only isolates them and prevents them from trusting others or seeking help. Due to these complicating factors, it is often the person’s family or friends who speak out and look for support on behalf of the person with anorexia.

Because anorexia is characterized by a lack of proper nutrition intake, the complications that can arise from this condition range from psychological (dissociation, depression, suicidal thoughts, insomnia, etc.) to physical (fatigue, bone deterioration, heart failure, gastrointestinal issues, etc.). Treatment for anorexia usually includes a combination of individual and group therapy, as well as long-term inpatient therapy where food is reintroduced as part of the person’s routine over time. Recovery from anorexia is a lifelong process, as the disorder has a powerful tendency to shape a person’s self-image even once they have overcome the hurdle of false perception. Anorexia also carries a strong risk of reducing overall life expectancy, even once a person has recovered, because the body experiences severe distress and damage as a result of this condition. Relapse is also common, and the longer that the person had the disorder to begin with, the more likely relapse is to occur.

Eating disorders are a prevalent form of mental illness in the United States. While they disproportionately affect adolescents and young adults, people of any age can develop an eating disorder. Eating disorders affect 9% of the American population at some time throughout their lives, making them a common form of psychological illness and one that has been researched in depth. Eating disorders are twice as likely to occur in females than males and also disproportionately affect people of color (“Statistics.” National Eating Disorders Association). People who are experiencing an eating disorder or who know someone who is can consult the National Eating Disorders Association for support and information.