Anorexia nervosa
Voluntary starvation cripples people
(Continued from Page 1)
a patient will view herself as fat
or a “little underweight,” as
one 58 pound 15 year-old girl
described herself. This disturb
ed body image leads the
anorexic to fail to recognize her
own signs of nutritional need.
This can take on delusion pro
portions. A patient will often
draw pictures of herself as quite
over-weight, but depict others
as normal and in proportion.
She will claim to “feel fat” even
though emaciated. Weight loss
will drop far below 25 percent
of the anorexic’s original body
weight and she will refuse to
maintain her body weight
above a minimum for good
health. These signs, plus lack
of any physical illness to ac
count for the loss are the main
diagnostic criteria for determin
ing anorexia nervosa.
“Anorexics have deep-
seated emotional problems
about weight,” said Clackamas
Community College student
health nurse Bonnie Hartley-
Linse. “They see a slim, trim
body as beautiful and almost
worship it. Even when they’re
slim they don’t see themselves
as beautiful. It’s the old ‘if a little
is good, a lot is better’ way of
thinking.”
Because of this thinking
anorexics can literally starve
themselves to death.
“Patients often claim that
they don’t "feel hungry.” This
is in part true. As less is eaten
over a long period of time the
body gets accustomed to less
best way to deal with it is to
consult with the family physi
cian first. Some have a very
good rapport with young peo
ple and if the case is not too
serious yet they can often help
bring out the problem. If they
can’t, a clinical psychologist or
a psychiatrist who is also an
M.D. will have to be
consulted.”
“There are several warn
ing signs of anorexia that
friends and family members
can easily recognize. Dramatic
weight loss accompanied by
lack of eating is one,” Hartley-
Linse said. “Another is when
people excuse themselves from
the table after eating and go
directly into the bathroom for
long periods of time. This could
A patient will view themselves
as fat or a “little overweight,” as
one 58 pound 15-year-old girl
described herself.
food,” Hartley-Linse said.
“The urge to eat diminishes
and the anorexic ends up
eating even less. This throws
the body’s chemistry off
balance. Typically in potassium
deficiency.”
“It can take several years
of psychiatric counseling,”
Hartley-Linse continued. “The
One of the greatest pro
blems with anorexia is that the
patient does not recognize her
own symptoms and others may
not be willing to admit that
something is wrong. Often
family members will be unwill
ing to start any kind of conflict
and will ignore the problem in
the hope that it will go away.
dicate that they’re there to
throw up. Before the weight
loss becomes apparent women
will stop having their monthy
menstrual flow, due to the
chemical imbalance. Soon the
body will start look emaciated,
with bones projecting through
the skin.”
Another problem with the
treatment of anorexia is that
parents may unwittingly help
the disorder. As the symptoms
show up, instead of consulting
a qualified physician, they at
tempt to force their child to eat.
The anorexic enjoys the feeling
of power she received from be
ing in control of her own body
and this intervention may only
strengthen her resolve.
For this reason, therapy
treatment of anorexia should
include the other family
members. They must them
selves, learn how to deal with
the disorder since family pro
blems can often be the catalyst
that starts anorexia, even
though they seem to have
nothing whatsoever to do with
weight loss or dieting. Anorexia
may just be an expression of a
totally different problem.
Becoming more prevalent
in a society that glorified
slimness, anorexia nervosa is
also slowly becoming better
understood. It is important for
people to be aware of the syn
drome should a friend or family
member begin a voluntary
course that can lead to death
by starvation.
Cresswell gives free legal advice to students
By J. Dana Haynes
Of The Print
On alternate Wednesdays,
Clackamas Community Col
lege students can receive free
legal advice on campus, thanks
to a service provided by the
College and Oregon City at
torney Joyce Cresswell.
Cresswell sets out her
shingle on Trailer A from 10
a.m.-noon twice a month. She
was on campus earlier today
and will return on Feb. 9.
Cresswell has been helping
students here since she passed
the bar in 1978.
“I see eight to ten people
each time,” Cresswell said. “Of
that group, three or four a
month ask questions I can’t
answer right away. I do
research on those problems
and help them here in my of
fice.” Her office is in the Pro-
minade Building, 421 High St.,
Oregon City .
Cresswell does not go to
court for the students she sees
on campus. The help she pro
vides is mostly advice on self
help divorces, domestic rela
tions counseling, the ins-and-
outs of small claims court, and
how to find a lawyer for court
action.
Cresswell is a native of
Pendleton, Oregon, and
graduated from the law school
at University of Oregon in
1978. In 1977, she became a
law clerk for Congressman
Hardy Myers, and worked on
the House Judiciary Commit
tee.
“I helped draft a constitu
tional
ammendment ,”
AAA
Dick Wengel
222*6900
OREGON CITY ATTORNEY Joyce Cresswell offers free
legal advise to College Students on alternate
Wednesdays.
Staff p^oio
Qbritschkewitsch
Wednesday February 2, 1983
Memberships
Auto Insurance
Life Insurance
Cresswell said. “It was called
the ‘Modified Missouri Plan,’
and was designed to make
judges an appointed position,
rather than having them
elected. Working on the bill
was a lot of fun. Unfortunately,
it failed miserably at the polls.”
In 1978, she again worked
for Myers, who then was
Speaker of the House.
Cresswell helped write a plan
that would make bill
assignments more germane,
and less controlled by the
whims of the Speaker.
“Judiciary law is so fun,
because you can see the results
of your work immediately,”
Cresswell said. However, she
has no intention of holding of
fice.
“I was useless to him
(Myers) politically,” she said. “I
could write great bills, but I’m
not a political person. I hated
that side of it.”
Cresswell is a very happy
with her current arrangement
with the College. “The College
pays for my time. It’s a good
contract for a young lawyer,
and it’s very good for the
students. The service has
grown phenomenally,” she
said.
“I like Clackamas County
and the College,” Cresswell
said. “I like the smallness of the
county. I know all the judges,
and there is a friendly group of
lawyers.”
Cresswell currently lives in
Portland and has considered
practicing there. “But it’s very
tough for a sole practitioner to
work in Multnomah,” she said.
She also likes the service
she performs for the students.
“I don’t get many flaky ques
tions here. Most of the people I
see have legitimate problems,”
Cresswell said.
“Sometimes, the students
already know their answers
and they just need someone to
confirm their information. And
sometimes, the important thing
is just having someone to talk
to.”
Students
can
see
Cresswell by appointment on
ly, by calling 657-8400, ext.
250.
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16080 S.E. 82nd DRIVE
CLACKAMAS
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