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Self-injury increasingly common among girls with eating disorders

By Staff Writer

In recent years, many specialists have noticed a startling trend among eating disorder patients. Self-injurious behavior is becoming increasingly common among those with these conditions.

Fox News reports that Jen Bailey, a recovered bulimic from Detroit, cut herself before she received treatment for her eating disorder.

"I started becoming very preoccupied with just being perfect for everyone around me," Bailey told the news source.

In junior high, she developed an eating disorder as a way to cope and she also started cutting herself in the arm.

Self-injury can include anything from scratching, biting and hair pulling to actually carving on the body. Recovery starts with awareness and patients understanding why they hurt themselves. Then they must learn other skills to replace that behavior, such as taking a walk, reading a book, watching television or even holding ice.

According to a study by Girls Inc. called The Supergirl Dilemma: Girls Grapple with the Mounting Pressure of Expectations, one in five high school girls say they do not know three adults whom they could turn to if they had a problem.

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