LIFE CHANGING EVENT

Life Changing Event

Life Changing Event

Robyn , a sixteen-year-old female and the older of two daughters was forced into therapy by her mother and family doctor when she had reached an incredibly low weight of 73 lbs. On her first session, Robyn's appearance was that of a very sick young girl. Her complexion was jaundice and lacked any coloring, even her lips where pale. Her cheeks were sunken in which therefore exposed more of her eyeballs giving them a bulging-out appearance. Her attire provided ample evidence to the bony fragile frame underneath.

Robyn was very angry she lashed out at me on her first session. She was mad that she was forced to go see a shrink about "nothing". She was convinced she did not have a problem. But she did. Her chart that was sent to me indicated many observable physical abnormalities. She had developed a soft downy hair on her face, arms, and back. A fine hair called Tarugs. Her complaints of coldness indicate that the insulating layer of fat, a layer specifically for keeping your body temperature consistently warm, had diminished. Her hair was dry and extremely thin and brittle. Her heartbeat was slow and irregular. Her body-fluid force was very low. She claimed to have had her last menstrual cycle 10 months ago.

I arranged to meet with Robyn's younger sister Aimee. I needed to get a bit of history behind Robyn's lifestyle. Aimee provided me with details concerning Robyn's emotional outbursts. If Robyn did not have things going her way, she would freak out, literally have a tantrum right there on the spot. Some of these tantrums were self-induced. If Robyn's hair did not go exactly the way she had planned, she would either throw the brush or smash it on her head. Causing her to get even angrier. Amiee claimed Robyn would cry a lot over the littlest things. Aimee was constantly asked by Robyn's friends what was wrong with Robyn. Aimee didn't have the answers, she wondered herself. She didn't know why her sister was so overwhelmed with sadness. Aimee thought her sister had it all; looks, friends, excellent grades. She herself, could not understand but she did know she wanted her sister back to her normal self.

Robyn had become overly pre-occupied with her image. Aimee claimed that Robyn continually looked at her reflection at every given opportunity. Aimee said that Robyn threw her lunch away every day on her way to school. School was tough for Robyn, she was unhappy and became angry every time a friend approached her to make conversation. She avoided her boyfriend as well. She had begun to push everyone away so she didn't have to deal with the confrontations.

Aimee and her mother both claimed that being around Robyn sometimes was like walking on eggshells.

From the sessions I had with Robyn I unveiled many psychological conflicts which could very well have contributed to her desire to be then and refuse eating. Robyn was concerned with her weight from as far ...