Eating disorder screening week kicks off this week

A portrait of a girl hangs in the psychology lounge on the third floor of Breiseth Hall. It is an oil painting of Lauren Martin, a Wilkes junior who died March 27, 2004, at the age of 24 after a courageous battle with anorexia nervosa.

"Lauren was a very special person. I know that everyone who knew her was deeply saddened by her death," said Associate Professor of Psychology Debbie Tindell.

In light of Eating Disorder Awareness Month, Psi Chi, the national honor society of psychology students, will hold its annual Eating Disorder Screening Day in honor of Martin. The event is slated to begin Monday from 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. in the Henry Student Center.

"The screenings are very accurate in terms of indicating if there's a problem," psychology professor Robert Bohlander explained.

Students and faculty who wish to be screened will take a pencil-and-paper type test, answering a series of questions that will be evaluated by a campus counselor who in turn will inform the test taker whether or not he or she is at a high or low risk of developing an eating disorder. The tests are completely confidential, though Bohlander feels that the people who need to take the test most, don't.

"Denial is a big problem, especially in anorexia nervosa patients. Many of them don't believe that there is a problem. They believe what they are doing is the right thing. They believe it shows good self control," he said.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health and the American Psychiatric Association, more than seven million women and one million men nationwide experience some form of an eating disorder. With the highest death rate of all of the eating disorders (about a 10% mortality rate), anorexia nervosa is estimated to affect about 1% of teenage girls, while 5% of college-aged students have it nationally.

"It's a very, very serious condition," Bohlander said.

Junior psychology major Rachael Cosgrove was diagnosed with the disease when she was only 14 years old after going through several family issues, which is one of the causal factors of the disease, and to this day, she continues to struggle with her weight.

"It's hard," she said. "I'd love to be able to eat whatever I want whenever I want and not worry about it. But the truth is, I'm not at that point yet. I can still remember the freedom of eating before."

Contrary to popular belief, the anorexic doesn't necessary misperceive their image when looking at themselves in a mirror, but rather they view themselves with a sense of pride, trying to pick out the "problem areas" that could use some work.

"Some people don't see the bones. I saw the bones, and there was some comfort in seeing them," Cosgrove said. "I like taking up less space. You're very aware of the noises your body makes, like when you step on the floor and it creaks, automatically you're thinking: 'it's the weight.'"

Though there is no known cure for eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia other than force feeding and individual or group therapy, there are clinics in the state, such as the Renfrew Clinic in Philadelphia, that are nationally known.

"If you have an eating disorder and want treatment, Renfrew is the place to go," said campus counselor Meaghan Broderick.

Getting "checked in" to a hospital, in many cases, can be the possible move for the patient, as Cosgrove, who was only 89 pounds when admitted into Renfrew, explained.

"There's something about the hospital setting that makes it a safe haven," she said. "It was OK for me to eat. It was OK for me not to exercise."

Terry Martin, Lauren's mother, explained that her daughter was well on her way to recovery after being admitted to several treatment facilities outside of the area. Sadly, she passed away tragically in the midst of her self-will and determination.

"It's very, very hard. And no one knows unless you yourself are living with that illness. But seeing how hard the struggle was, we can only imagine the strength and courage it took to beat this horrific illness," she said.

Lauren's cause of death was attributed to significant damage sustained to her heart after many years of battling the illness.

"This condition is very damaging to your internal organs," Bohlander said. "A lot of people think you starve yourself to death, but you really don't for most anorexics. You die from all the strain and stress on your organ system, and your heart could give out."

As a parent, Martin stressed the importance of taking the screenings. "You can recover, but before it gets to the stage where it's going to be difficult, get the help you need now. It's easy to deny there is a problem, but if you see yourself in a lot of these questions, then you have to realize that 'maybe I do have a problem,'" she said.

The screenings will take place this week starting Monday from 10-12, Tuesday from 11-1, and Thursday from 11-3 in the Henry Student Center, with counselors on hand for feedback on Monday from 10-12 and Thursday from 1-3.

"There are some folks walking around on this campus who are in serious trouble who don't want to do anything about it," Bohlander said. "People need to act."

While the screenings will remain completely confidential, students can anonymously take and receive feedback from an online version on the test for depression, anxiety, alcohol abuse, post-traumatic stress, bipolar disorder, and eating disorders at http://course.wilkes.edu/PsiChi/MHS

Feel like you may have an eating disorder? Worried about a roommate or friend? Contact the Campus Counselors Center located on the first floor of Evans Hall at 408-4732.