the most common causes of anorexia, and body or self image issues come from many sources1 pressure towards perfection2 competition with peers3 put downs from peers4 feeling too controlled like the only thing in life they have control over is what they eat (anorexia specific)there are many other factorsbut lets look at these 1st1 dreading requires you to accept imperfection, to allow yourself to be seen as messy for a period also it involves a certain amount of saying "i dont care what you want from me i need to do what makes me happy" often these issues come from always trying to live up to unrealistic expectations from parents and peers who define a successful life differently then you do. so when you dread you are affirming that your choices matter more then the expectations of others, and its empowering.2 kids especially feel alot of pressure to look better then theyre peers or siblings if a sisters lil thinner and gets more attention a young teen might crave that same attention and seek it through starvation this is also true in other ways like if they feel inferior in intellect or personality they may seek attention through self destructive means. dreading takes you out of that competitiveness so you no longer care about being better looking thinner , instead your more likely to seek to be happier wiser healthier.more natural.3 put downs here is the biggest thing alot if not all self esteem issues come from mean kids saying your fat your stupid your ugly so much even the most beautiful people start to believe it. so these people live in fear of these remarks and feel hurt deeply bu them, when you dread you invite criticism, and learn not to care. you expect a certain number of people to say eww dreads are gross but you knopw with total security that they are not. you grow stronger by rejecting these comments as truths you refuse to believe in them and it breaks the hold all the other comments (fat ugly etc) have had on you, you realize your true beauty was always there and at the same tome you realize beauty doesnt matter and you dont need to care what others may say4 anorexics especially feel theyre lives are out of control they feel they have to live theyre lives according to whats expected of them and nothing else. theyre expected to be straight a students well behaved pretty quiet skinny etc etc etc they feel they have no control of any factor in theyre lives not carrer choices not freinds they have nothing except what they eatdreading is letting go of control completely no longer needing to control (the hair) at the same time its refusing to be controlled (by those who told them they shouldnt dread)i have personaly seen dreadlocks save lives several timesive seen severe issues turned around completely in months just be deciding to dreadive seen anorexics on the verge of death go into full recoveryand ive seen sex/drug addicts turn to a life of total abstinence and sobriety and turn instead towards just spirituality.dreads are more powerful then just a hairstylethey really can change your life for the better..they can be healling
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My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1
updated by @soaring-eagle: 02/14/15 07:42:41AM
dreadlocks as therapy for anorexia self esteem and self image issues
First and foremost,thanks S.E for bringing up the concept and secondly,I really wish to share my story with you readers of this thread.Like 5 months ago,waking up in the morning was the hardest task of the day,it took me minutes to stop feeling dizzy once on my feet. First thing every morning standing in front of the mirror for far too long was a must.Unlike my friends I never looked out for that new zit or some un-visible to the human eye,black-head.At my tiniest I still felt extremely heavy.No matter how much my friends cried at the view of my skeletal face,dying was my favorite fashion.I had managed to loose my natural round-ish ass and boobies.I looked basically like a twelve year old boy.All my clothes fell off me and in a few months I was weighing 86 pounds and a size 0.Suddenly my periods stopped,I developed a bad temper and all I ever thought about was how to shed more and more weight.Then,one day,being such a reggae freak,I dragged my bestfriend at that time to this reggae party.On that one night I had managed to make new friends,fall in love and even down a corona or two without screwing about how much calories it actually contained.From that day on,this reggae bar became my second home,the people,my family.I had all i needed;A simple life laced in joy,& nice people who loved me for who I really am and not for the girl my girlfriends and media had shaped me into.They loved me for who lied inside of me.A year on,I decided I should get dreads and put all my fear of loosing friends aside.I started dreading on the 4 th of May 2010,some of my friends abandoned me,but those that really matter are the ones who stayed.I'll never,ever leave my family now,Because like Bob Marley states 'Life is worth much ore than gold' and throwing my life away to be part of a materialized industry is way too stupid.Nowadays as stupid as some of you may think it is,I turn down all the modelling opportunities that come my way,I don't want to sit where they want me to,while they paint my lips like cherry blossoms and my eyes like silver suns.I don't want to be a made-up,caked Dollie for them to stare at.I don't want anyone to teach me how to be nothing at all.I am me and I do what I feel like doing.There's no way in hell I'd stop loving my one love family or even think about leaving them.So,here I am today,sitting in the sun,wind blowing through my ever knotting hair,and I don't give a damn what they think and what they say,because I finally found a life worth living and I'll never trade it for anything.No matter how bad my dreads may look,or what the society thinks of me when I'm jungle dancing with my tribe,I hold my head high and thank Jah for the nice future that lies ahead 
xxx
xxx
elle oh sweet elle im so freaking proud of you and i know u live a world away but i hope u can feel me hugging you
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My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1
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My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1
wow and yea ive seen dreads be a life saver really and really can be a lifechanger
(im gonna move ythis to the emotional suppirt section now that we have 1)
hugs im glad your finaly you
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My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1
wow, this is like my story a little... i had so many issues and as i have been getting help and working through my various disorders (deppression,seasonal affective, orthorexia and anorexia, depersonalization, adhd,generalized anxiety,ocd, self injuring)i have decided to start dreading and it has helped me let go and be more confident and less anxious about my appearance. this year really has been a journey from suicide attempts to hospiatlization, to therapy, to a program that saved my life, and now dreads and the one year anniverasry of me becoming a vegetarian. now i really see that life gets better and why adults say they would never repeat the teen years, iv'e learned patience and trust, and my dreads reflect that in me, or they will when they really get going anyway! thanks for bringing this up, it really got me thinkin and appreciating after a stressful day! it's also nice to keep the eye away from scars, it's perfect for my on the go active lifestyle with my dog and friends! they fit my personlaity and are so fun to decorate! they make me really happy! and because i'm doing it natty, it will be so gradual, my dad won't know til it's too late! haha! control my hair now dad! at least he doesn't have to worry about me cutting it antmore tho right?
"dreading requires you to accept imperfection, to allow yourself to be seen as messy for a period also it involves a certain amount of saying "i dont care what you want from me i need to do what makes me happy"
The whole progess is sutch a good therapy for me. And i think i never would have gone neglect/natural if i didn't find this site. For me it's about coming closer to myself and not caring about what other people think, those have always been a big issue in my live. And ofcourse there's a sad sory behind all of the low self esteem and al other problems, but i'm trying to spend more energy in who i am and who i want to be. and everytime i look in the mirror i rememer, this way dreads make it more easyer on me
The whole progess is sutch a good therapy for me. And i think i never would have gone neglect/natural if i didn't find this site. For me it's about coming closer to myself and not caring about what other people think, those have always been a big issue in my live. And ofcourse there's a sad sory behind all of the low self esteem and al other problems, but i'm trying to spend more energy in who i am and who i want to be. and everytime i look in the mirror i rememer, this way dreads make it more easyer on me
To be honest i feel to really get over Anorexia, SI, and destructive behavioural patterns you REALLY need to take some of the attention away from the "Self" i feel that using dreadlocks as a form of therapy on one hand, may help towards recovery in the way a placebo tablet does. On the other hand, encourage the subject to self obsess and deepen mental issues.
Now if you are anorexic and i know from experience that the hair on your body thickens and on your head it thins, so please if you are or feel you will be suffering from malnutrition at least start a course of vitamins. Zinc, plenty of B's for energy and a basic A-Z tablet worked fine for me, if you fail to look after your hair and skin your reads will not be the best they can be. My anorexia was caused by medication after i stopped with that it took a year to stretch my stomach back to "normal" to fit a meal in, put weight on, feel better about myself.
While i was very skinny i had braids, while they were in i was malnourished my hair thinned, it was poorly.
Good luck
recover your life not ruin it
xxx
B
