Mental pain is less dramatic than physical pain, but it is more common and harder to bear. The frequent attempt to conceal mental pain increases the burden: it is easier to say "My tooth is aching" than to say "My heart is broken."
~~~~~~ C.S. Lewis
We talk a lot here at TG about recovery from alcohol and substance addiction, as well we should. Those are the forces that led DD to build the Gift, and we should never lose sight of that. In recent weeks, however, I've had communication from others on OB who are dealing with a different form of addiction---daughters and other women in their lives who suffer from an eating disorder. I've done a little work in that community, and it can be heart-breaking. Like alcoholism or substance abuse, it can also be fatal, but where the alcoholic is addicted to something that is harmful, the eating disorder sufferer is addicted to avoiding something that is essential to life.
No one really knows the "why." There are many theories, most with some validity, but treatment is still uncertain. It most often strikes adolescent girls, and those parents are hurting. Some of them will lose a precious little girl. From the moment of birth, dads of daughters instinctively vow to protect their girls from every threat, only to later face the prospect of losing them to a demon they cannot see or understand. Society probably plays a role, at least with the girls. Give a listen sometime to Carrie Underwood's "Nobody Ever Told You."
These folks need our prayers and best wishes too. The same faith that supports recovery will support these families too. Let's hope and pray that our OB brothers find faith and success.
Blessings, lads and lasses. Enjoy your Friday. Happy Groundhog Day.
NT
1 Samuel 16:7