Who here thinks Anorexia Nervosa is only suffered by girls?

Hey Megs, Sorry to hear about your baby brother-my prayers are w/ your family. Here in the states I think it was the actor dennis quaid who coined the term "manorexia" when he was struck w/ it. Yes, men can have eating disorders they probably have a harder time confessing it b/c they are afraid of the scrutiny. +'s 2 U

How very sad for all of your family! This is a very hard thing to go through! However, while you don't want to fall apart completely, and thus cause your folks more worry, there is no reason for you to play Wonder Woman either! This is your brother's problem. You didn't cause it or create it, nor did you contribute to it in any way! Above all, you can't cure it either!! Only your brother can do that, and I'm glad he's getting the kind of professional help he needs to do it. The best thing to do is just let him know that you love him, no matter what he does, or how he looks. It's OK to tell him how painful and scary it is to watch him do this; how much you want to go to his wedding and the christening of his children; how important he is to you (try not to "guilt" him, though). He needs to understand that he has an effect on everyone around him, good as well as bad. Your mother is probably blaming herself and needs to understand this too. This is your brother's decision, and by now his mental and physical chemistry is probably totally out of whack, so he's not thinking clearly or behaving rationally. Other than making sure he has all the available medical and psychological help there is, there's not much you can actually DO for him. It's that useless feeling that's so hard to deal with! I don't want to get too churchy or weird on you, but one thing I do that helps me in such situations is to envision the afflicted person completely surrounded in a bubble or sphere of white light. The white light is God's healing love and it will protect him and energize him. It is very powerful, unlimited in quantity and it will always be available -- after all, it comes from God! See your mother surrounded by the white light too -- in fact, anyone you're worried about can use a dose -- even you yourself! Doing this makes me feel less helpless and I believe that the person being surrounded feels it too, on a subconscious level anyway. Whenever you find yourself worrying about your brother, surround him with the white light in your mind's eye. Then try to relax and let the light do it's work. Above all, remember that NO ONE is strong ALL the time! Give yourself a break and allow yourself your own time to be frail. Let us all here on mylot know how it's going, too! (I'll send you some extra angels tonight -- they love helping!)