Anorexia: The Desire To Be Special

Those with anorexia often want to stand out from the crowd. Bart Sadowski / iStockphoto.com

Among the motivations that lead a person to engage in food restriction, and ultimately anorexia nervosa, is the burning desire to be unique. Dieting is a powerful motivator. If 95% of diets don't work, and the person with anorexia succeeds in losing weight and keeping it off, he or she is in a fairly exclusive club.

But it's never enough. Because there's always a feeling of being fat, the complete sense of "specialness" never comes. It's like the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow -- so elusive because it isn't there.

And the tragic reality, as you'll find in my feature article linked below, is that even the uniqueness a person does feel isn't all that unique.

• Specialness (and emptiness) in anorexia
• Anorexia's balance of pride and shame
• The appearance of stress relief leads to greater stress