Eating Disorders Are an epidemic among Survivors of Rape and Sexual Abuse.

I've been struggling with eating disorders ever since I was assaulted. For a long time I thought that I was crazy and that there was something extremely wrong with me.I think I was unconsciously trying to punis my body for somebody else's crime. I couldn't properly identify my eating disorder for what it was, a survival machanism and an inability to cope with my emotions. Later I found out how many survivors od rape and sexual abuse struggle with the same problem.

Many of the issues that are associated with eating disorders are the same issues that survivors of rape and sexual abuse often face after the assault.

Feelings of worthlessness, depression, low self-esteem, loss of control, etc

Abnormal eating is a body-image disturbance and it may be used to block out painful feelings.
When you have an eating disorder, your behavior is motivated by factors that make you act against your own wishes. Research indicates that among people suffering from Eating Disorders a great percentage may have been victim of a sexual abuse. In these cases, an eating disorder may be viewed as a coping mechanism for the abuse. Overeating or starvation may give some survivors the false idea of control over their bodies, when they feel they had none during the attack.