Locking away appetite, anger, the fullness of life, anorexia helps cover up whatever struggles inside. With its controlling bouts of bingeing and starvation, of trance and half-life, it becomes a shield to fend off despair and longing and what most of use would see as ordinary responsible behavior.
Anorexia can serve as a protective mechanism against emotional turmoil, allowing individuals to suppress their deeper struggles. By controlling their appetite and emotions through cycles of bingeing and starvation, those affected inadvertently shield themselves from feelings of despair and longing that they find difficult to confront.
This behavior creates a distorted sense of safety, masking the complexities of everyday life and the responsibilities that come with it. Instead of facing their challenges, they find solace in the drastic measures of anorexia, turning it into an unhealthy coping strategy that distorts their perception of normality.