I'm not going to be mad about this, or the other ignorant comments, because honestly I think this, like other disorders and compulsions, are really difficult to understand if you personally haven't been through it or known someone close who has been through it. What you are saying is pretty much impossible for someone truly affected by a disorder like this-you can't just tell a depressed person to be happy, someone with OCD to just stop being compulsive, an anorexic person to just eat, etc. Maybe you can tell someone that in the early stages in the case of an eating disorder, maybe if you catch it really early. It isn't usually just a matter of "I think that I'm fat" or "I just want to be really skinny because I think the whole protruding bones look is super hot" (modeling industry notwithstanding)-I feel like it's more often the perfectionist pretty girls, the ones who seem to be doing awesome but have some serious personal/emotional turmoil that they are hiding (and some sports can exacerbate it-dance/ballet, running, gymnastics come to mind). It starts out as a compensatory behavior-I'd say that a combination of some severe stressful situation or multiple situations, and the individual's own tendencies is what triggers it. It feels good, it's the one thing you can control in your life (this could be anorexia nervosa, bulimia, compulsive overeating, drug addiction, hell it could be a shopaholic or alcoholic or other -olic). In some cases I'm sure depression plays a role, but that isn't necessarily typical I don't think. But the one thing that gives you comfort ends up consuming you...it is truly like a drug addiction. Your brain becomes dependent on that feeling you get-it's literally a fucked up rewarding experience, something that you are disgusted by doing but literally can't not do or you feel like you've failed at just one more thing. It becomes part of who you are. It's frustrating for those who want to help, because honestly it's something that only the afflicted individual can chose to stop or not stop, and "chose" is relative=it can take a lot of work and therapy to recover and regain control of your life. Even when you are fully recovered and haven't engaged in some addictive behavior or another for a long time, it never leaves you. It just becomes controllable.
Ok that was long. I hope that helps a little bit. You can't just make someone with anorexia nervosa eat-that's a good way to get them to start being bulimic. They have to recognize that they have a problem that will kill them if they don't stop, it often requires professional help, and it requires solving the underlying problem of what caused you to start the self-destructive behavior in the first place.
OP-good on you for recognizing that you have a problem. You are taking the first steps=get yourself physically healthy. Please get help, I know it's in the end your battle to fight, but please try to fight back. You can do it
