Tuesday, April 18, 2017

Silence the Noise ... and Raise Their Mighty Voices

April 30, 2017 will mark the sixth month date marking the passing of my beloved daughter, Morgan. And, with regard to the eating disorder community, the reality of a fractured and fragmented community has been increasingly discovered. As the curtain is pulled back, we do not see one master wizard pulling the strings of the marionettes as all dance with swan like beauty to the tune of a wondrous symphony. To the contrary. When the curtain is pulled aside, we see instead, the fleeting images of numerous people competing for a place at the head of the table and whose combined voices create an ear-blistering, cacophony of sound which drowns out any type of unified or powerful message or vision.

Silo mentality is loosely defined as that mindset wherein divisions, organizations, departments or functions refuse to share information, resource and support to others. It occurs when persons, companies, centers or clinics conclude that it is not their responsibility to coordinate their activities ... or breakthroughs with peers or other groups. In fact, this "silo mentality," is so prevalent in business that it is assumed to be a fundamental problem of human nature. And as the noise continues, as silo mentality remains prevalent, our children, our loved ones, remain the victims as "the Monster" claims its hourly victims.

The eating disorder community is comprised of a number of clear and distinct entities. There are the research scientists. Those brilliant doctors and professors studying the most complex biological organ of them all, the brain. They look for clues or hints of the biological causes of eating disorders, genetic markers, any abnormalities which could give us insight into the disease. They are usually attached to a university and are spread throughout the United States and abroad. Then you have the medical doctors who specialize in diagnosing and treating eating disorders. Their task is equally daunting. They must recognize the early signs of eating disorders, stay current with the latest alleged "breakthrough medication" from the pharmaceutical industry, educate the patient and the family, and hope they caught the Monster in time before it is too ingrained in the victim and the home.

There is the pharmaceutical industry who has never recognized an illness or disease that they, in some way, can't make better and who operate in corporate secrecy guarding their proprietary information with Mossad like efficiency. Then, we have the residential treatment centers spread throughout the United States and abroad. Each treatment center is subject to the whims of their owners and each promising that in some manner, their treatment protocol is the best, is the most adaptive. Then, we have the counselors and counseling centers whose professionals have been trained to recognize and in some manner, treat eating disorders. Their number throughout the United States alone is legion. We can also include those foundations, both profit and non-profit, which were started largely by persons who have survived the Monster and wish to spread awareness. Finally, there are the family foundations. These are usually started by those families who were victimized by the Monster when their loved one was ripped from this earth. Those foundations are meant to help the family in their grieving process, spread awareness (usually locally) and to raise funds for this cause. And, more often than not, those family foundations, after a few years, weaken and fall as the enormity of the task, the lack of long term planning, the difficulty of the road and the obstacles placed before them overwhelm their sensitivities and wear them down.

Each of those entities are speaking their own truth. Each of those entities are speaking about their strengths. Some of those entities are merely crying out in despair. Some of those voices are reinforced by the belief that they will be the next Jonas Salk, or Louis Pasteur or Walter Reed. Some of those voices are talking about their state of the art programs. And some of those voices are just wailing in despair, beset by grief. And the noise remains deafening, loud, disjointed and unintelligible. And all the while, the Monster continues to laugh and claims its hourly victims.

The Noise must stop because the carnage is not.

A message must be delivered. That message must be delivered to each state house in the Republic. That message must be delivered to each doctor and to each hospital. That message must be delivered to each school and to each parent. That message must be delivered to the White House and to Congress. That message must be delivered to each city hall. That message must be delivered from east coast to west coast. That message must be delivered to those nations near and far.

And, that message does not, and is not, coming from us. That message is coming from those voices who have been silenced. That message is coming from our daughters and our sons, our brothers and our sisters, our mothers and fathers, our loved ones. That message is coming from that Army of Warrior Angels who were ripped away from our loving arms by the Monster. That Army of Warrior Angels are unified as one, their voices are in harmony. Their resolve is irresolute. That Army of Warrior Angels are standing, arms linked together with one powerful purpose. Their voices are a mighty roar, loud and clear. And we have the absolute and inalienable duty to learn how to listen, heed and spread their message.

Their message? The time to unite is now. The time to collaborate is now. The eating disorder community must rise above its petty differences, its pride, its "silo mentality," its desire to glorify itself separately. We must speak as one, with all of the strength, power and passion of our Army of Warrior Angels and tell the world that the Monster is among us ripping a life from us every 62 minutes. For if we do unite, if we do educate and inform, if we research as one, speak as one, act as one, we can cage and control the Monster. We can save lives. Our Army of Warrior Angels expects and demands nothing less. We honor them by heeding them. We honor them by uniting to save precious lives.

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