Axis 1: DualismAxis 1: Dualism

Treats body as something alienTreats body as something alien Body becomes a confinement or a Body becomes a confinement or a

limitationlimitation Body and mind have conflicting needsBody and mind have conflicting needs Body threatens us with a loss of Body threatens us with a loss of

controlcontrol Examples: Plato, St. PaulExamples: Plato, St. Paul

Axis 2: Control AxisAxis 2: Control Axis

Follows off of dualist axisFollows off of dualist axis Need to re-establish control through Need to re-establish control through

domination of the body and its desiresdomination of the body and its desires Examples: Plato, St. AugustineExamples: Plato, St. Augustine

Axis 3: Gender/Power AxisAxis 3: Gender/Power Axis

Involves our social norms that relate Involves our social norms that relate to the meaning of the bodyto the meaning of the body

Includes our understanding of gender Includes our understanding of gender norms and our beauty normsnorms and our beauty norms

Dualist AxisDualist Axis

From Maria Stavrou, ed.; From Maria Stavrou, ed.; Bulimics Bulimics on Bulimiaon Bulimia

I had done all this I had done all this [skipping meals and [skipping meals and not drinking] before, not drinking] before, but this time it hurt. It but this time it hurt. It hurt because my body hurt because my body was so much bigger, was so much bigger, so much so much hungrierhungrier than it had ever been than it had ever been and I hated my body and I hated my body for it.for it.

As I sat down [to As I sat down [to dinner] she [my dinner] she [my mother] admonished mother] admonished me for putting too me for putting too much on my plate. much on my plate. Even now, 12 years Even now, 12 years later, I still see later, I still see carbohydrates as the carbohydrates as the enemy.enemy.

From Hilda Bruch; From Hilda Bruch; The Golden The Golden CageCage

Being hungry has the same effect as Being hungry has the same effect as a drug, and you feel outside your a drug, and you feel outside your body.body.

Control AxisControl Axis

From Maria Stavrou, ed.; From Maria Stavrou, ed.; Bulimics Bulimics on Bulimiaon Bulimia

To this day I’m not sure what exactly To this day I’m not sure what exactly caused me to even want to go down caused me to even want to go down that road. I think it was more a that road. I think it was more a variety of things. I have always variety of things. I have always wanted to be the best in every way, to wanted to be the best in every way, to achieve an almost unrealistic level of achieve an almost unrealistic level of perfection. … It seemed that weight perfection. … It seemed that weight and food was the one thing I could and food was the one thing I could control.control.

From Hilda Bruch; From Hilda Bruch; The Golden The Golden CageCage

When you are so unhappy and you When you are so unhappy and you don’t know how to accomplish don’t know how to accomplish anything, then to have control over anything, then to have control over your body becomes a supreme your body becomes a supreme accomplishment. You make out of accomplishment. You make out of your body your very own kingdom, your body your very own kingdom, where you are the tyrant, the absolute where you are the tyrant, the absolute dictator.dictator.

From Rosemary Shelley, ed.; From Rosemary Shelley, ed.; Anorexics on AnorexiaAnorexics on Anorexia

[My doctor] said that if I didn’t stop I was [My doctor] said that if I didn’t stop I was going to die. I told him that I was not going to die. I told him that I was not afraid. … It would be a final statement, a afraid. … It would be a final statement, a testament to my dedication and control, testament to my dedication and control, and, at long last, proof that I could really and, at long last, proof that I could really achieve something. By dying, no one achieve something. By dying, no one would ever be able to take that would ever be able to take that achievement from me.achievement from me.

Gender/Power AxisGender/Power Axis

From Maria Stavrou, ed.; From Maria Stavrou, ed.; Bulimics Bulimics on Bulimiaon Bulimia

I stuff all my insecurities of not being smart, thin, I stuff all my insecurities of not being smart, thin, pretty and charismatic into my mouth and down pretty and charismatic into my mouth and down my throat. The like a lifeless zombie, my feet my throat. The like a lifeless zombie, my feet carry me to my toilet. I throw up all the food and carry me to my toilet. I throw up all the food and the insecurities. It all collects in the toilet and I the insecurities. It all collects in the toilet and I admire how I devoured and destroyed admire how I devoured and destroyed everything that made me feel horrible. I flush it everything that made me feel horrible. I flush it all away and guess what? It is always the best all away and guess what? It is always the best part of my day. It’s because it’s the only part of my day. It’s because it’s the only moment of my day when I feel victorious over moment of my day when I feel victorious over my life.my life.

My thoughts were confirmed, when, at the age of My thoughts were confirmed, when, at the age of 12, at five feet and two inches and 98 lbs, I 12, at five feet and two inches and 98 lbs, I stopped home from tennis practice to grab an stopped home from tennis practice to grab an extra practice outfit [for my second tennis extra practice outfit [for my second tennis practice after swimming]… and my mother, as practice after swimming]… and my mother, as I’m grabbing an apple, says, “That tennis skirt I’m grabbing an apple, says, “That tennis skirt makes you look pregnant, maybe it’s time we makes you look pregnant, maybe it’s time we gave it away.” I never swam so hard in my life gave it away.” I never swam so hard in my life as I did in the following practice. … After {tennis} as I did in the following practice. … After {tennis} practice was over, I ran laps around the courts to practice was over, I ran laps around the courts to punish myself for not being a good athlete, a punish myself for not being a good athlete, a good person and a good daughter.good person and a good daughter.

From Rosemary Shelley, ed.; From Rosemary Shelley, ed.; Anorexics on AnorexiaAnorexics on Anorexia

My aunt is a very big lady. She always ate a lot My aunt is a very big lady. She always ate a lot when she visited us. My Mum has always been when she visited us. My Mum has always been worried about her size too. I think she is worried worried about her size too. I think she is worried that she will get as big as Aunt Janet, so she has that she will get as big as Aunt Janet, so she has always been on diets. There is a poster on our always been on diets. There is a poster on our fridge that says ‘A moment on the lips, a lifetime fridge that says ‘A moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips’. I see that every time I go into the on the hips’. I see that every time I go into the kitchen. It always reminds me not to eat. …kitchen. It always reminds me not to eat. …

I did not want to eat … because I did not want to I did not want to eat … because I did not want to get fat. I did not want to look like Aunt Janet.get fat. I did not want to look like Aunt Janet.

I would walk, run, or exercise for hours just I would walk, run, or exercise for hours just to lose those calories and get rid of all the to lose those calories and get rid of all the fat, but they never ‘dropped off’ as they fat, but they never ‘dropped off’ as they had promised in those magazines’ diets. had promised in those magazines’ diets. So to get around this problem, I just had to So to get around this problem, I just had to eat less and exercise even more… eat less and exercise even more… MagazineMagazine