I do not have a good relationship with food. I'd wager that millions of other people can say the same, each in their own way. The sheer volume of those affected has done a lot to "normalize" eating disorders and food issues. It saddens me so much - beyond words, really - that this is so.
Reading this book, I found myself crying over and over again. I devoured it in a single weekend, because I couldn't stop reading. Anna's story is heartrending. Zgheib paints a vivid picture of the insidiousness that is anorexia nervosa. The anxiety, the fear, the stress, the way it takes over your life are all captured eloquently in these pages.
You wouldn't think that not doing something can overwhelm your entire life, but that's what happens. Everything else dims to a grey haze and it happens so gradually that you don't even fully comprehend what's going on. Those around you get that hair-raising itch at the backs of their necks, where they know something is wrong and they're uncomfortable but they can't precisely pinpoint what it is. Everyone involved starts to doubt their own sanity. "Is it really that bad? Are drastic steps needed? Am I over-reacting?" The fear of losing a relationship, causing harm to another's life, keeps friends and loved ones from stepping in even when they become convinced there's a real issue.
In-patient treatment facilities have to exist because of how far this disease is often able to progress. So far that medical intervention becomes necessary just to keep the afflicted person alive so they can try to heal. One of the cruelest ironies of this disease is how a person receiving medical intervention feels they are being harmed by the intervention. All their "hard work" being thrown away with so many calories consumed.
Reading these pages was difficult but I am so grateful that this book has been written. I hope every young adult reads it. I hope every person recovering from an eating disorder reads it. I hope they get the message of how much is lost when an eating disorder takes over your life. I hope they feel hope that, no matter how far they have progressed, they can come back. I hope they gain understanding of how much damage - to themselves and their loved ones - is caused by an eating disorder.
There's so much power and love and information and sorrow and pain in this book. There are not enough words of commendation for Yara Zgheib and "The Girls at 17 Swann Street," but I hope mine will be a start.
Reading this book, I found myself crying over and over again. I devoured it in a single weekend, because I couldn't stop reading. Anna's story is heartrending. Zgheib paints a vivid picture of the insidiousness that is anorexia nervosa. The anxiety, the fear, the stress, the way it takes over your life are all captured eloquently in these pages.
You wouldn't think that not doing something can overwhelm your entire life, but that's what happens. Everything else dims to a grey haze and it happens so gradually that you don't even fully comprehend what's going on. Those around you get that hair-raising itch at the backs of their necks, where they know something is wrong and they're uncomfortable but they can't precisely pinpoint what it is. Everyone involved starts to doubt their own sanity. "Is it really that bad? Are drastic steps needed? Am I over-reacting?" The fear of losing a relationship, causing harm to another's life, keeps friends and loved ones from stepping in even when they become convinced there's a real issue.
In-patient treatment facilities have to exist because of how far this disease is often able to progress. So far that medical intervention becomes necessary just to keep the afflicted person alive so they can try to heal. One of the cruelest ironies of this disease is how a person receiving medical intervention feels they are being harmed by the intervention. All their "hard work" being thrown away with so many calories consumed.
Reading these pages was difficult but I am so grateful that this book has been written. I hope every young adult reads it. I hope every person recovering from an eating disorder reads it. I hope they get the message of how much is lost when an eating disorder takes over your life. I hope they feel hope that, no matter how far they have progressed, they can come back. I hope they gain understanding of how much damage - to themselves and their loved ones - is caused by an eating disorder.
There's so much power and love and information and sorrow and pain in this book. There are not enough words of commendation for Yara Zgheib and "The Girls at 17 Swann Street," but I hope mine will be a start.