The Impact of the Social Media on Anorexia Nervosa - Term Paper Example

Running Head: SOCIAL MEDIA AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS The impact of the social media on anorexia nervosa The impact of the social media on anorexia nervosa Introduction The condition of anorexia nervosa, and its partner condition bulimia nervosa, are afflictions that have both induced physical issues as well as psychological issues that must be overcome in order to recover. Most of those who suffer from the condition are girls and women, a consequence from the social pressures and the cultural belief systems that suggest that women are suppose to be as thin as possible. The psychological issues include denial and delusions, framed within distorted concepts of the body and outlined by a need to find a part of life in which to assert absolute control. The consequences of the disease can be seen in most aspects of the physical body, including the potential for death. The starvation, which is part of the restrictive eating that progressively lowers the body weight, can create a situation within the body from which recovery is no longer possible, the victim wasting away into death. The treatment for this disorder includes creating acceptance in order to combat the denial and health considerations that include gaining weight under the care of a doctor. The issues that bring on this disease can include traumas that include circumstances that are beyond the control of a child, thus creating the need for that child to find a way to control something in their life. The ability to control the intake of food becomes one way to assert his or her ability to have control. Another driving factor in the development of body distortion issues is the high level of media objectification of women and the way in which they are defined through standards that few women can attain. This social pressure combines with the ideas of perfection and control in order to create the psychological stew in which the disease is formed. In addition, social networks on the internet are now providing forums through which community can be found for those who are still deluded and believe that it is a lifestyle. As well as community, dangerous tips are given about how to combat the recognition of parents and doctors of the existence of the disease within those who are suffering under it’s delusions. Defining Anorexia Nervosa The disease of anorexia nervosa is defined by a internalized belief that the body is not thin enough. The psychology of the victim is framed by a warped sense of their own image, a belief that their body is carrying too much weight and by controlling how much weight they carry, they will be controlling an aspect of their emotional life that is outside of their control. It is the internalized belief that through starvation or binging, they have grasped hold of something within their experience that has remained illusive. However, the disease is an obsession and has nothing to do with having true control over one’s life. The disease will then take control, leaving all other aspects of life outside of the concerns of food intact, exercise, and the movement of the scale as it moves lower and lower. Anorexia is defined by changes in eating behaviors as they become compulsive, obsessive, and attached to perceptions of body image. The division between what is a change in diet and what is a slip into anorexic behavior is a blurred line that happens at different points for different people. The most difficult problem in identifying anorexia is that the perception of the body has become greatly distorted throughout society through the objectification of an unreasonable weight ratio through media representation. According to Lucas (2004) it is common in studies of college age women to find that half will display abnormal attitudes and distorted perceptions of their bodies. This, despite its close identification with anorexic tendencies, represents a social problem as it invades the population rather than a spike in the occurrence of the disease (p. 20). In order for a diagnosis to be made, physiological and psychological changes must occur in tandem that reflect the disease. According to Eivors and Nesbitt (2005), there are two distinct types of anorexia nervosa, although some literature differentiate them into two different diseases, one being anorexia nervosa and the other being bulimia nervosa. The first is restrictive where the victim restricts their caloric intake to a level where they starve their body. The second is a purging variation where a victim will go through cycles of binging a purging. Both conditions can include purging behaviors which includes diuretics and laxatives, and can also include extreme addictive framed exercise behaviors. The noticeable changes that will occur when a victim gives over to the disease is that they will become more serious and experience introversion. Other signs will be perfectionism, obsessive-compulsive behaviors, poor self-image, and mood disturbances (p. 22). While the condition was once considered very rare, it has been determined that in the 21st century this has become the most common chronic disease to occur within teenage girls (Lucas, 2004, p. 21). Often it is a traumatic event outside the control of the victim that will create a foundation for the disease to take root. Traumas such as sexual abuse, loss of a parent, abandonment by a parent, or a severe change in circumstances where a child feels out of control of his or her environment can be a trigger to the disease (Chamorro-Premuzic, 2007, p. 59). Some of the common consequences of restricting the diet to a point that starvation of the body occurs, not the least of which is death, can be seen in Table 1. The body goes through Table 1 Possible consequences of anorexia nervosa (Ogden, 2010, p. 220) severe trauma, creating consequences on a profound physiological level through the lack of nutrition that is experienced during the practices that are part of the disease. Even when death is not the consequence of the disease, there are physical events during the run of the disease that can be permanent to the patient. The disease can cause permanent injury to the skeletal system, to the reproductive system, and to the nervous system. The psychological effects can also be obstacles that cause problems throughout a lifetime. Treating Anorexia There are several tasks that will help in creating a format for treatment for a patient who has anorexia nervosa. The first task will be to have the patient declare the problem, specifically naming anorexia as the condition that is causing them difficulty. The second task will be to have the patient compare their own experiences to other of those who suffer from the disease. In doing this, the patient will find that they have similarities and may begin to recognize that they are suffering from the disease. Denial plays a large part in the perpetuation of the disease, thus several layers of admitting and recognizing themselves as one who is exhibiting the behaviors and suffering from the consequences of the disease will help a patient towards recovery. The last task is to have the patient draw a picture of the disease, to express what the disease means in terms of how it is affecting their perception (Eivors & Nesbitt, 2005, p. 22). The Media and Distorted Body Perception Look at any magazine, whether it be geared towards women or towards another topic, and the reasons behind the increases in anorexia can be observed. Magazines use software to enhance the length and body types of actresses and models in order to create a certain aesthetic that is often unreasonable for any real woman to hope to emulate. As a point of fact, because of the alterations, the women who posed for the pictures do not reflect the physical aesthetic that has been created through image manipulation. The problem with this image manipulation is that it has cultivated several generations of women who see the prevalence of those images, then believe that they do not look right or acceptable, their images not having a chance to ever emulate the looks of the impossibly thin and visually altered objectifications of women that have now become desirable. Women fight an impossible battle against a falsehood of advertising that has infected them, the men in their lives, and the culture in such a way to impose unreasonable expectations on young girls who look at their bodies without seeing reflections of the public standard. This battle explains why 50% of college women have distorted ideas about their bodies and that they have abnormal ideas about how they should eat and exercise (Lucas, 2004, p. 20). Even worse, it explains why there are pro-anorexia groups who support the concept that their disease is a function of their socialization, that in practicing their beliefs, they are expressing themselves within the cultural context. New technologies have provided forums through which these groups can support one another through distorted concepts of body control through methods of shedding calories and fat. The new media, the social media, now allows groups who are attached to unhealthy behaviors to support each other in those behaviors. The Social Media Access to the social media provides a forum through which people can invent themselves based upon their own perceptions and without refute as the format allows for an aspect of anonymity as a person can reveal or hide what he or she desires. While the social media has opened up an opportunity for many people to express themselves and connect to others who share their beliefs, it has also opened up the opportunity for counterculture, dangerous minded groups to gather and share ideas that can be to the detriment of their condition. Anyone with access to the internet is at risk of becoming part of a dangerous collective, belief systems that used to be kept as secrets now exposed through the available anonymity that the open internet form provides. Anorexia groups, groups that call themselves pro-Ana groups, have sprung up on the internet in order to share ideas about how to further contribute to their disease and condition. One of the more interesting sites is called Pretty Thin, at prettythin.com, a site that is not exactly pro-Ana, but is not anti-Ana either. This site provides a community atmosphere for those who have an eating disorder, or ED and who are seeking others who understand their experiences. That, at least, would seem what this site is about. It takes some doing to get to the heart of the website, Figure 1. A photo of Angelina Jolie suggesting a moment after purging. (Beauty thoughts, 2010) many of the pages unavailable unless you join. However, upon further investigation a page called “Beauty - Thoughts from Ana” can be found that contains Figure 1, a picture that reveals a disturbing concept that is meant to generate a feeling of understanding. Beyond that, the page goes on to give notes on how to combat the effects of dieting into starvation (see Appendix 1). An excerpt from these tidbits of advise state the following: At a certain weight, which is different for everyone, you will lose your period. This is a good thing because it means that you’re losing weight. Still, it would be wise if you’d take calcium supplements, if you don’t already. Don’t let your mother find out about your lost period because she will most likely take you to the doctor. Never under any circumstances tell a doctor that you’ve lost your period. They will have you in a eating disorder clinic faster than you can say “What the hell?”. Before you go to the doctor’s make sure that you have a date to tell them in case they ask about your last period and make sure the date is believable (Beauty thoughts, 2010). Notice that both the parent and the doctor are framed as enemies of the ‘lifestyle’. This theme is throughout the advise given on the site and is a dangerous place for those who are in a position within their disease where such advise can create the difference between life and death. Another bit of advise is to keep the nails polished as blue fingertips are something that a doctor will check. This allows for those who suffer from this affliction to continue in their disease, risking their lives and without correct medical interference. In 2001, the support group ANAD (Anorexic Nervosa and Associated Disorders) put out a call for servers to take down all pro-Ana websites so that the perpetuation of the idea that this dangerous illness was a lifestyle could be ended. Many internet servers took these websites down and they found the internet to be a less than hospitable environment (Miah & Rich, 2008, p. 92a). However, access is still available and, as shown by the simple Yahoo search that brought up the Pretty Thin website, it is still easy to find these websites in order to participate in the continuation of the destructive behaviors associated with the disease. While Facebook claims to take down pro-Ana pages on their website, a site of this size is difficult to fully patrol. A simple search of the site brings up several choices of pro-Ana and Thinspo (images of ‘thinspirational’ concepts of actresses and overly thin women) pages to join. A search on Twitter brings up a long list of people to follow under pro-Ana. MySpace offers the same result, with one particularly interesting user named Ana Michelle. Ana Michelle reveals an angry resentment against those who would wish her to find health over her ’lifestyle’. She states next to her profile pic, shown in Figure 2, that “Ana is My lifestyle choice. Your approval is neither required nor desired”. She writes about Valentines Day, “oh em gee! I totally hate Valentines candy  if he wasn’t sitting here watching me eat it…oh well, the bathroom is just down the hall ” (Ana Michelle, 2010). Some of the more shocking Figure 2 (Ana Michelle, 2010) aspects of her page are that she has two bands under her play list that reference pro-Ana ideals, one called ‘Sugar Free Thinspo’ and the other ‘Thinspiration’. The other information that can be found out about her is that she is a 35 year old white married a capricorn Wiccan with children. Such is the nature of the social networks. While the official position of most internet providers and social networks is that they will not host pro-Ana content, obviously that is not being enforced in any real sort of fashion. All of the information about the above sites was researched in a matter of minutes, the full research time taking more than an hour as this writer sat in stunned awe at the convoluted concepts that support the ‘lifetyle’ of the pro-Ana movement. However, the condition does have those who suffer from it deluded into thinking that they are in control and that the choice to live as they do is a circumstance that is conducted for cosmetic purposes, thus a choice that does not suggest psychological difficulties. Denial is one of the prime symptoms of the distorted world view that accompanies the disease. Conclusion Treatment from a Counseling Point of View As a counselor for a patient with anorexia nervosa, acceptance of the problem and the illness is the first step towards recovery. Weight restoration and rebalancing the individual’s nutrition are essential in combating the disease as the loss of weight and malnutrition can contribute to depression and distortions of reality (Martin, Volkmar, & Lewis, 2007, p. 599). Therefore, recovery cannot truly happen without a collaborative effort between a physician, a counselor and the family. Family therapy is highly recommended for cases of anorexia in teens. Family analysis will help the counselor in understanding the dynamics which may have created the condition, as well as help to define the most appropriate form of counseling that the individual patient will require. However, while family therapy was shown to have a high benefit in teenage sufferers of anorexia, those over the age of eighteen performed poorly in a family counseling context (Martin, Volkmar & Lewis, 2007, p. 600). The aspect of the internet support that can provide validation for those who have deluded themselves into believing that the disease is a choice applies a new difficulty to those who will have to undo all of the damage done by the advise and assertions made in a public forum. Counseling will not only have to combat the distorted images put out by the media, but the distorted world view put forth by pro-Ana groups. Birmingham and Treasure (2010) suggest that the only way to combat the information technologies is through more information, giving nutritional information that is considered healthy, embracing the concept of food control under a healthy point of view, and providing links to sites that can successfully support recovery (p. 231). Directing patients toward web communities that support their recovery will help in creating new connections to people who understand what they are going through from the point of view of health and stability. Although, these communities should be fully explored before connecting a client to their site. The disease has a hard road to recovery in which a great deal of resistance will be felt from the one who is suffering. In addition, the culture has adopted a point of view that thin is beautiful which is promoted and supported by entertainment and advertising. Men have the opinion that women are suppose to reflect the airbrushed, manipulated concepts of beauty and women have deluded themselves into believing that those ideals are normal, thus they fall disappointingly short. Treating someone with the disease means combating a whole culture that has promoted the belief that the distorted imagery of the female body is ’normal’. A counselor must help a client see the distortion of her own image, while revealing all of the distortions that the media has put forth. It is a daunting challenge to combat so much stimulation and to navigate the many challenges created by a society that has deluded itself. References Ana Michelle. (2010). MySpace. Retrieved from http://www.myspace.com/fattygirl31520 Beauty thoughts from ana. (updated 12 March 2010). Pretty Thin. Retrieved from http://www.prettythin.com/anabeauty.htm Birmingham, C. L., & Treasure, J. (2010). Medical management of eating disorders. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Chamorro-Premuzic, T. (2007). Personality and individual differences. Malden, MA: Blackwell Pub. Eivors, A., & Nesbitt, S. (2005). Hunger for Understanding. Chichester, UK: Wiley Publishing. Lucas, A. R. (2004). Demystifying anorexia nervosa: An optimistic guide to understanding and healing. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Martin, A., Volkmar, F. R., & Lewis, M. (2007). Lewiss child and adolescent psychiatry: A comprehensive textbook. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Miah, A. & Emma Rich. (2008). The medicalization of cyberspace. New York: Routledge. Ogden, J. (2010). The psychology of eating: From healthy to disordered behavior. Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell. Shepphird, S. F. (2010). 100 questions & answers about anorexia nervosa. Sudbury, Mass: Jones and Bartlett Publishers. Appendix 1 Stay Beautiful Let’s face it…Being Ana takes its toll on our bodies, inside and out. So here are some helpful tips on keeping up looking good on the outside. At a certain weight, which is different for everyone, you will lose your period. This is a good thing because it means that you’re losing weight. Still, it would be wise if you’d take calcium supplements, if you don’t already. Don’t let your mother find out about your lost period because she will most likely take you to the doctor. Never under any circumstances tell a doctor that you’ve lost your period. They will have you ina eating disorder clinic faster than you can say “What the hell?”. Before you go to the doctor’s make sure that you have a date to tell them in case they ask about your last period and make sure the date is believable. As you lose weight your skin will become dry and sallow and it will heal slowly. Make sure that you use LOTS of lotion where it is needed and take a multivitamin. If you lose enough weight, your body will develop lanugo which is a very fine downy hair that covers your body. It can easily be removed with a mild depilatory followed by hydrocortisone cream. Your hair and nails due to a lack of sufficient protein. Use volumizing shampoo and conditioner to keep hair full and shiny. If you lose enough, eventually your hair will fall out. Sad, but true. Try to keep from pulling at the roots of your hair. Always put hair in loose ponytails instead of tight ones. Also, keep your nails polished. Low circulation to your fingertips make your nails turn blue and that is something that doctors look for. Pedicure Getting a pedicure is a good way to distract yourself from eating and to make yourself feel prettier…. (Beauty thoughts 2010) Read More