Who Is ED?

How many of you used to sing along with Karen Carpenter on the radio? I know I did! She was one of my all time favorite singers. I used to love to sing along to "Close to You" and " Rainy Days and Mondays." Not only was she beautiful to me, but I loved standing in front of the mirror with my hair brush pretending to be her as I sang "We've Only Just Begun."

She was best known for her mellow vocal performances and ballads, but she was also an accomplished drummer. Karen Carpenter had such a gift from God...her voice. What a range. True musical talent. Until ED.


Who's ED you might ask. ED is who came along and took Karen's life at the young age of 32. ED is short for eating disorder or at the time when Karen Carpenter died, anorexia nervosa. She died of heart failure just before her 33rd birthday on February 4, 1983. Not many people were even aware of what it really was at the time.

According to everything I've learned about her battle, she dieted obsessively because she felt she had no control or very little over her life. This is very typical of young women and now young men with eating disorders, although not the only cause or reason. 90-95 percent of anorexia sufferers are girls and young women. Between 5-20% will die from this disorder. Anorexia has one of the highest death rates among any mental health condition.

Karen Carpenter's death brought awareness to anorexia and bulimia. My hope is that over the next couple of weeks, during National Eating Disorders Awareness Week, I too can bring awareness and understanding to this so often misunderstood disease.



You see, ED came as an unwanted guest to our home back in 2005. ED came just like that family member that you think will only stay for a couple of days. Instead, ED unpacked, stayed and refused to leave.

Over the next few days, I will share with you the warning signs of this most unwanted guest; how to reach out to others in your time of need; how I would probably do things differently; where to turn for help; how to allow God to be ultimately in control in this situation...this being the most important!

I pray that if you know of someone that has a daughter or son and they are suffering in silence as I was, to please encourage them to check in over the next couple of weeks just to know that they are not alone. What I would have given to have had another mom to have turned to in my time of hurt and need.

Psalm 143:1-2
O Lord, hear my prayer,
listen to my cry for mercy;
in your faithfulness and righteousness
come to my relief.
Do not bring your servant into
judgement,
for no one living is righteous before
you.

Embrace the ones you love and all the imperfections of life, knowing that God is faithful and good . He is the great physician and healer. I believe this because I have lived it. There is hope and there is healing in Christ our Lord.

Ginger