Skinny Boy is a powerful story showing how anyone can win the internal battle between mind and body, and triumph over the out-of-control thoughts and feelings common to many mental disorders.
Skinny Boy is the first and only book to describe how a young man overcame this often fatal disorder, normally associated with young women, that kills thousands of young people each year. It also offers therapists, sufferers, and their families with a powerful new tool to help them triumph in the battle over self.
Skinny Boy is a powerful story showing how anyone can win the internal battle between mind and body, and triumph over the out-of-control thoughts and feelings common to many mental disorders.
Skinny Boy is the first and only book to describe how a young man overcame this often fatal disorder, normally associated with young women, that kills thousands of young people each year. It also offers therapists, sufferers, and their families with a powerful new tool to help them triumph in the battle over self.
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Overview
Skinny Boy is a powerful story showing how anyone can win the internal battle between mind and body, and triumph over the out-of-control thoughts and feelings common to many mental disorders.
Skinny Boy is the first and only book to describe how a young man overcame this often fatal disorder, normally associated with young women, that kills thousands of young people each year. It also offers therapists, sufferers, and their families with a powerful new tool to help them triumph in the battle over self.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780981848945 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | American Legacy Media |
| Publication date: | 03/01/2007 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 240 |
| File size: | 356 KB |
About the Author
Read an Excerpt
Skinny Boy
A Young Man's Battle and Triumph Over Anorexia
By Gary A. Grahl
American Legacy Media
Copyright © 2007 Gary A. GrahlAll rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-9818489-4-5
CHAPTER 1
SIGN OF THE OBSESSION
I do not like myself. It's that simple. Bloodshot eyes stare back at me in the mirror. Great, I didn't sleep again last night. I gaze at this fat, gelatinous figure with short legs and a long torso. My body reminds me of a squashed Play-Doh figurine. I'm a fifteen-year-old boy, and feel like a pregnant hippo.
That's because you're fat and flabby.
My folks say my stomach and face have a sunken-in look, and harp on me to gain weight. They're "sick and tired" of my "outlandish" exercise routines and "bizarre" dieting rituals. Jogs around the outskirts of our quaint little town when the wind chill reads in at thirty below freezing and dinners consisting of mustard on warm egg whites don't cut it with them anymore.
You're an embarrassment to the entire family.
My real statistics: five feet and eight inches tall, 110 pounds. But it's not skinny enough, not "cut" enough in my muscles, not —
Yeah, yeah — just get to work.
Yes, sir.
I pedal my sore feet like a madman as I approach the end of my ten-mile stationary bike ride. The CNN News blares in front of me, coating the living room with a vaguely blue glow. I love this news. It follows the same pattern every half hour: world news, weather, sports, world news, weather, sports. ... It's a routine, something I command my life around.
Dad comes thumping down the steps. "Morning, Gary."
"Morning." Huff, huff, huff.
He sits at the living room desk, silently agonizing over this month's bills as usual.
My frantic ride is finally over. Sweat pours from my brow. My T-shirt is drenched. It's time for calisthenics. I pound out push-ups despite my exhaustion. "Sixty-four, sixty-five, sixty-six ..."
Dad finishes his tasks and heads upstairs to breakfast. He comes back downstairs fifteen minutes later and goes into our utility room to strap on his boots for work. He finishes and shuts off the light, which cues my next response.
"Bye, Dad. Have a nice —"
The door clicks shut behind him.
He didn't say his usual good-bye.
Without a break in the action, I position my feet under the couch, preparing to whip out my standard three hundred sit-ups. I'm sleepy, physically drained, exasperated, and seriously hungry. I can't wait to sink my teeth into some puffed wheat and skim milk. My mouth begins to water.
You have to earn it first.
I breathe a heavy sigh. Okay, back to work. "One, two, three, four ..."
The door slowly cracks open. What the —? Dad comes walking back into the house, weeping like a baby! He makes his way over to me, kneels down, and throws his arms around me in a monstrous bear hug.
Don't stop. Keep pushing onward.
"Gary, I hope you get the help you need on this unit today. Your mother and I just don't know what to do with you anymore. I love you, son. I love you."
I totally ignore my father.
"Fifteen, sixteen, seventeen ..."
What are you doing? How selfish can you be?
I feel Dad's tears trickle onto my cheeks and roll down my neck as I increase my pace. I pull my father's big bumblebee body with every repetition. My muscles burn something awful. Dad's embrace progressively squeezes tighter and tighter as my breathing becomes ever more laborious.
This is hard. Get off!
After what seems like an eternity, Dad releases his hold. He pushes himself up, still whimpering, blows his nose with his handkerchief, and shuffles back out the door.
"Two hundred ninety-eight, two hundred ninety-nine, three hundred. Whew!"
I sit up to rest. Guilt squashes me like a bug.
How could you do this to him after all he's done for you? He deserves better than someone like you. He almost became famous and made it to the big leagues, you know.
Yes, I think I'm aware of that fact.
It's your job to make him happy and follow suit. You've got the tools.
Will IT ever go away?
No.
I hate myself. I'm such an idiot.
Amen.
Oh, well. I need to have breakfast before it gets too late. I hope I still have my twenty minutes to eat. My breakfast: Exactly three tablespoons of skim milk over exactly three tablespoons of puffed wheat. Gosh, I'm starving. Of course, I would never tell anyone this.
CHAPTER 2Helpless
My folks are into subtle hinting. They do this by saying, "Gary Alan Grahl, you look pathetic." I take it as a compliment. That means I'm getting skinnier.
You're such a baby. All a baby does is sleep, poop, eat, and cry, with no expectation to meet his own needs. What a life!
Where does this voice come from?
I've learned that since my family "loves" me, they eventually break down and carry my responsibility. All I need to do is appear boggled over some basic task, and someone will come running to save me. I resent this in myself, but I can't seem to do anything to fix it. Why do I keep this up?
Because you're pathetic, that's why.
One time, I was restringing my baseball catcher's mitt in the living room while Dad sat in his shabby recliner reading the paper. He glanced up from the sports page, noticing my battle with the cowhide. After a minute or two of watching me, he chucked his paper to the floor, came over to me with that I'd-better-help-Gary-because-he-can't-do-it-himself look, and snatched the mitt out of my hand.
Anger surged within me. At first, I wanted to say, "Dad, just leave me alone! I'll do it myself." But instead ...
"Here, let me help you with that," said Dad, futzing with my mitt.
I stay quiet.
"There, that's better." He hands it back to me and returns to his chair, shaking his head.
"Thanks, Dad."
A mixture of humiliation and helplessness usually follow close behind in moments like this.
Hey, he's your dad. How can you sit there and allow an opportunity for him to show love fly out the window? He's worked his fingers to the bone for you over the years. On the other hand, you could have said no and —
Well, then, why didn't I say it?
You're not capable. Can't you see that?
CHAPTER 3THE RIDE
It's Monday morning. Rain pours down in sheets as I make my way to the car and settle in the passenger seat. The familiar cigarette-smoke film on the windshield emits a disgusting aroma that assaults my nasal passages. Mom involuntarily reaches into her purse. I cough and grudgingly roll down the window when she lights up a smoke. She knows exactly what I'm doing but ignores my act. Subtle hinting must be genetic. Why can't we just talk openly about this?
Talking about feelings is evil, that's why. So just sit there and be quiet.
Our destination is Unit 13, a psychiatric ward at Saint Abernathy Hospital, where I will be admitted as an inpatient, although to me it feels like an inmate. My crime: anorexia nervosa. It sounds like some third-world disease. At least, that's what we thought before a nurse explained it to Mom and me last Friday during a medical assessment. Mom became concerned that something was rotten in Denmark with my weird exercise habits and just happened to catch an advertisement over the radio for the hospital's eating disorders program. So, the next thing I knew, she dragged me in for an evaluation. I politely obeyed, of course. I don't know any other way, no matter how I feel.
I wasn't particular happy about the fact that she took me out of my afternoon chemistry class. We usually received time in class to do our homework. Now I was looking at balancing chemical equations and studying the periodic table at home, which would dig into precious exercise time.
The good news was that the appointment flowed rather quickly.
We met with a nurse named Hadie who had constant sniffles. She took my weight and vitals, then asked me a boat load of questions:
"So, how often do you exercise?" Sniff.
Not enough
"Do you every find yourself getting very upset with your family?" Sniff.
I haven't given you permission to be angry.
"Do you look in the mirror and believe you're fat?" Sniff.
But you are fat.
"When was the last time you thought about food? Sniff, sniff.
When was the last time you didn't?
"Do you ever feel like you must say what you believe others want to hear in order to prevent them from getting upset with you?" Sniff.
Of course, duh! It's your job to keep everyone happy.
"Do you ever feel disappointed because you never do things well enough, no matter how hard you try?" Sniff, sniff.
Feel disappointed? You are a disappointment.
"Are you ever satisfied with your weight?" Sniiiiiiff.
With a little more effort, you really can get to ninety pounds. You'll be much happier at that weight, trust me.
Mom just sat quietly off to the side through most of the interview and barely said a word. Embarrassment and humiliation hid themselves behind her pleasant smile. I learned from the best.
After a brief meeting with other professionals on the unit, the sniffing nurse came back with the sad news: They recommended I go inpatient for my safety.
There's nothing wrong with you, but you better not argue with these people; you might hurt their feelings in some way and wouldn't be able to handle it.
Are you sure? I mean, they are adults and everything and —
Who gave you permission to question me?
Sorry, I just thought —
If you ever want to get to the point of being happy, then I'll do the thinking around here, understand?
Yes, sir.
There was not much discussion once we got home. Shock had set in, which was a great excuse for not talking about anything, particularly feelings —
Watch your mouth, young man! Don't say that word.
Sorry, again.
You say that a lot, don't you?
We immediately began planning for the change in my schedule. There would need to be a proper excuse for school, the issue of homework, my exercise rout — Oh my gosh! My exercise routine!
Now how could you forget about that? You have to start making up time since you're not going to be able to spend your usual five hours a day exercising at this place.
Panic set in hard, and lasted for the rest of the weekend. It spelled more sets of push-ups, a longer run, one hundred fewer calories per meal, and only three hours of sleep last night.
The car ride is long and quiet this morning. I yawn a lot and pretend I'm a prisoner of war going off to a concentration camp. A scene from Rambo flashes in front of my mind's eye. I'm Sylvester Stallone being tortured in pig feces. Mom attempts to rationalize her anxiety by giving me a pep talk between puffs on her cigarette. I'm doing fine, however.
"I hope this works for you, Gary. You can't keep doing this to yourself."
"I know."
"You're going to hurt yourself if you keep this up."
"I know."
"Your father and I just don't know what to do with you anymore. Don't you know that we're trying to help you?"
"I know."
"Why don't you stop?"
"I don't know."
I wish I did know how to stop. I hate putting my parents through this misery. They're such great people. They pretty much do everything for me. Maybe that has something to do with it, I don't know. Deep down I have this sense that God didn't intend my life to be like a constant stomach ache, with never-ending worries about how that number will read on the scale, how many calories I've eaten, how fat my stomach feels, or how painful my next workout is going to be. I don't want to worry my parents or cause them any problems because they really are great. I just can't figure out what's wrong with me. I'm not looking to gain the world. I just want to be able to snack on a frozen burrito after school without–
"Gary, answer me."
"Huh? Oh, uh ... I don't know."
Go, Coach Mom.
Quiet — that's my mom you're referring to.
So shoot me.
On the other hand, this hospital thing will fit my lifestyle quite nicely since I've recently become allergic to people. Social interaction makes me break out in a terrible rash called guilt; I simply can't seem to please enough people, no matter how hard I try. To remedy this ailment, I've taken to prescribing my own medication; it's called "exercising my tail off in isolation, each time to the extent of my muscles crying out in pain." It works like a charm, and helps me avoid a different sort of pain — rejection by my peers. What would happen if I actually told someone an honest opinion that he didn't like, or disagreed with him, shared my fe —
Excuse me! Didn't I tell you not to use the "f" word again?
Sorry.
Why don't we make that your middle name?
CHAPTER 4AND YOUR NAME IS ... ?
We drive in a rainstorm down a long, narrow road and reach the remote grounds of Saint Abernathy Hospital. A monstrous brick structure, it's sheltered in a private nook just off the downtown thoroughfare. A speed bump welcomes us by socking our heads into the ceiling. We drive around for a while to find the closest parking spot. After what seems like two days, Mom succumbs to the fact that this hunt is useless, and we end up venturing into the overflow lot. We get out and hurry ourselves toward the entrance to get out of the rain. As we reach the sidewalk, three cars pull out of their parking spots right next to the building.
"Isn't that just par for the course," says Mom.
We approach the admissions desk and state our names. A middle-aged woman with beehive hair and a cup of coffee asks for our insurance card before even saying hello. Her nametag says "Gert." No wonder she's in a grumpy mood. Mom hands the card over while brushing raindrops from her jacket. We wait patiently as this woman's fingers play with the computer keyboard like it's a Steinway and she's a concert pianist.
"Just to double check, that's Unit 13, correct?" asks the receptionist.
Our heads bobble. The receptionist suddenly looks sorry for us, as if Unit 13 is a place for kooks.
It is.
"It's amazing how everything is so computerized and fast nowadays," says Mom.
Good idea, Mom. Change the subject.
We all nod and smile in agreement. It's what Mom and I do best.
After finishing the paperwork to enlist in the Unit 13 ranks, we make our way to the elevator. I'd rather take a detour up the stairs to burn more calories but Mom would question my motive. I'm not up for a sermon right now. On the way to the third floor, Mom reminisces. I listen patiently.
"It seems like only yesterday when I was going down this elevator to take you home. You were such a happy, chubby baby. You were so solid in middle school, too."
She means fat.
"It's too bad you don't have some of that pudginess right now, huh, Gary?" She forces a chuckle.
Yeah, she wants you to stay good and plump so you won't embarrass her when people see you with her. Then she doesn't have to provide all sorts of creative commentary for how you look.
"Yeah," I say, trying even harder to force a chuckle.
The elevator doors open. We're lost already.
"Let's see," says Mom, deep in thought, "where do we go? Maybe we should ask someone."
I look at the directions on the wall, the ones in large print and hitting me right in the face. "I think it's this way, Mom."
"Umm ... yes, you there," says Mom, cornering a candy striper pushing a bin of laundry. "Could you please tell me where the psychiatric unit is? Silly me, we were just here last week and I can't seem to remember which way to go."
The teenager displays her shiny silver braces and points her finger down the hallway in the same direction I had indicated.
"Oh, I see, thank you." Of course, my mom pays attention to her.
We make our way down a hallway that juts and jitters like a maze. I suddenly feel like a lab rat in some kind of psych experiment. There's a light at the end of the tunnel with people bustling about. Above me, a sign reads "Unit 13 — General Psychiatric" loud and strong.
Butterflies dance in my stomach.
So much for being psyched up — no pun intended.
A perky receptionist with frizzy red hair greets us upon arrival. I dub her Wal-Mart because she reminds me of the employees who greet people at the front doors.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Skinny Boy by Gary A. Grahl. Copyright © 2007 Gary A. Grahl. Excerpted by permission of American Legacy Media.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Table of Contents
Contents
Title Page,Praise for Skinny Boy,
Copyright Page,
Dedication,
INTRODUCTION,
PART ONE: SELF DESTRUCTION,
CHAPTER ONE - SIGN OF THE OBSESSION,
CHAPTER TWO - Helpless,
CHAPTER THREE - THE RIDE,
CHAPTER FOUR - AND YOUR NAME IS… ?,
CHAPTER FIVE - THE IRON GIANT,
CHAPTER SIX - THE FIFTY-CENT TOUR,
CHAPTER SEVEN - CHANDRA,
CHAPTER EIGHT - GROUP THERAPY,
CHAPTER NINE - ATALANTA THE PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR,
CHAPTER TEN - O.T.,
CHAPTER ELEVEN - SCRABBLE,
CHAPTER TWELVE - THE DOCTOR IS IN(SANE),
CHAPTER THIRTEEN - SEND THE ALTERNATE,
CHAPTER FOURTEEN - THE BATTLE OF O.T.,
CHAPTER FIFTEEN - WHAT ABOUT BOB?,
CHAPTER SIXTEEN - MY FREE GET-OUT-OF-PROM CARD,
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN - CHANDRA'S DISCHARGE,
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN - MY POST-PROM,
CHAPTER NINETEEN - LET'S PLAY HIDE THE TUNAFISH–TWICE,
CHAPTER TWENTY - D-DAY,
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE - ILLUSION THEORIES FOR ALL OCCASIONS,
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO - THE LETTER,
PART II - THE NEW YOU,
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE - BACON ANYONE?,
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR - AND THE AWARD FOR BEST ACTOR GOES TO...,
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE - AM I EVER GLAD TO SMELL YOU?,
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX - ONE SHARP PACKAGE,
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN - BACK SO SOON?,
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT - DR. BUCKMIER'S WARNING,
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE - WET DREAM,
CHAPTER THIRTY - CAN'T YOU SEE THE "NO TRESPASSING" SIGN?,
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE - THE POWER OF YOU,
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO - AN I DOL VISIT,
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE - THE WARNING,
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR - THE INFATUATION BEGINS,
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE - BUSTED,
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX - ARIEL'S LESSONS: GIRLS 101,
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN - THE ELEVATOR RIDE TO HEAVEN,
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT - BAD NEWS,
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE - MUSICAL TOAST,
CHAPTER FORTY - THE SESSION,
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE - COURAGE,
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO - TRASH IT,
EPILOGUE,
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS,
What People are Saying About This
More books like this about the male experience with anorexia nervosa need to be written. This book gives insight into that experience. My thanks to Gary Grahl. (Mae S. Sokol, MD, associate professor of psychiatry and pediatrics, Creighton University School of Medicine)
Gary Grahl is a hero and an exceptional writer. Through Skinny Boy, Gary makes a spectacular contribution to the eating disorders field. (Vivian Hanson Meehan, president and founder, National Association for Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders)
Gary Grahl's powerful story of transformation demonstrates how it is possible for a person to gradually surrender eating disorder thinking and behavior in favor of a life worth living. (Tom Shiltz, Rogers Memorial Hospital, Eating Disorders Program)
Effectively chronicles the inner dialogue between the anorexic voice urging him to resist treatment and keep getting thinner and his rational mind that reacts with colorful sarcasm but usually succumbs to thoughts of worthlessness. As Grahl proves, eating disorders are not exclusive to either gender. (Leigh Cohn, editor-in-chief, Eating Disorders: The Journal of Treatment and Prevention)