The dark and twisted world of eating disorders has often been cast into the shadows of America’s attention. Anorexia, in particular, silently plagues one in two hundred American woman. Kelsey Osgood’s tale of her journey with anorexia shed some light on the severe and twisted reality of anorexia. She delineates key issues and aspects of eating disorders in How to Disappear Completely, a book in which she takes a raw look at modern anorexia in America. Osgood candidly writes about her experiences as being a life-long anorexic, and opens up a worthwhile dialogue about eating disorders. She vividly describes why she stayed anorexic for so long, and the type of comfort she felt from it. What I found most interesting of all in the book is when
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I would assume that starving ones self is extremely miserable, yet she seems to take pride in it. As her mental disease progresses, it becomes clear that she is unable to stop her restriction. Kelsey explains, “I was too depended on the process of the illness, and the rituals, and all that to give it up” (81). It is intriguing at how she found the process of her anorexia to be so comforting. How could she be dependent on something that put her body through such hardships? I think this may be because sometimes when on feels out of control in their own life, they hold on tightly to something that they can exert power over. Often times school, family, and relationships can be overwhelming, and we can feel as if the world is completely out of our control. I think that this is how the young Osgood felt, and she latched on to something that she was able to control. Food consumption and dieting is completely under the consumers control, so I can understand how it can be an easy target to control. I am must defiantly shocked at how much she is dependent on the rituals of the disease, and this is completely deviates from what I though anorexics would be …show more content…
How To Disappear Completely has opened up my eyes and made me think about mental illnesses and anorexia in a much different way. Now that I feel that I have a different view on the issues, I think the most important question is, what are the next steps? I believe that understanding and education is key. I have watched several of my teammates struggle with eating disorders, but I could never really understand their world. I find that those who have eating disorders rarely open up in the way that Osgood has done in her book. I think her ability to open up and share her experiences is extremely helpful, and I am grateful that she has done so. Through the key takeaways that I have gotten form this book, I now feel as if I can understand the hardship that those with eating disorders go through. This new understanding may be able to help pave the way for me aid those who are going through similar struggles. Overall, How to Disappear Completely was a heart-wrenching tale, but I believe that it will create space for a dialogue about Anorexia in America that can bring about meaningful and positive
I would assume that starving ones self is extremely miserable, yet she seems to take pride in it. As her mental disease progresses, it becomes clear that she is unable to stop her restriction. Kelsey explains, “I was too depended on the process of the illness, and the rituals, and all that to give it up” (81). It is intriguing at how she found the process of her anorexia to be so comforting. How could she be dependent on something that put her body through such hardships? I think this may be because sometimes when on feels out of control in their own life, they hold on tightly to something that they can exert power over. Often times school, family, and relationships can be overwhelming, and we can feel as if the world is completely out of our control. I think that this is how the young Osgood felt, and she latched on to something that she was able to control. Food consumption and dieting is completely under the consumers control, so I can understand how it can be an easy target to control. I am must defiantly shocked at how much she is dependent on the rituals of the disease, and this is completely deviates from what I though anorexics would be …show more content…
How To Disappear Completely has opened up my eyes and made me think about mental illnesses and anorexia in a much different way. Now that I feel that I have a different view on the issues, I think the most important question is, what are the next steps? I believe that understanding and education is key. I have watched several of my teammates struggle with eating disorders, but I could never really understand their world. I find that those who have eating disorders rarely open up in the way that Osgood has done in her book. I think her ability to open up and share her experiences is extremely helpful, and I am grateful that she has done so. Through the key takeaways that I have gotten form this book, I now feel as if I can understand the hardship that those with eating disorders go through. This new understanding may be able to help pave the way for me aid those who are going through similar struggles. Overall, How to Disappear Completely was a heart-wrenching tale, but I believe that it will create space for a dialogue about Anorexia in America that can bring about meaningful and positive