I am in a trial. No worries- am not on trial. Along with feeding and watching (the ED version of ‘Eat, Pray, Love’) I also do some law. This has been a crazy summer of trials and they tend to suck everything into them like a black hole. So, have had little time to sit and get a blog post out (extra energy is directed to above noted feeding and watching) but litigation has me thinking about conflict and stories and eating disorders (like, I said….everything gets sucked into the black hole…even eating disorders).
There is a classic conflict story with 3 characters:
1. The Victim
2. The Villain
3. The Hero
Actually, you could argue that these 3 characters are in every classic story full stop. The conflict triad is the basis for a primal narrative script that all (not just conflict) stories use (think of your favourite fairy tale or any soap opera or every Hollywood blockbuster you have seen): Victim (damsel in distress/underdog/orphan who lives under the stairs); Villain; Hero (Hollywood especially loves when the Victim becomes the Hero).
Our brains know and love this script. It feels written into our subconscious and we respond. Ok- here is my ED leap-
I have been seeing stories of Kesha in my news feed for the last few weeks and they all follow that script: Kesha is the victim; the Villain is either the “big bad Media” or the “Music Industry”; and, the Hero is rehab/Insight/self-acceptance empowerment (Keshia has the power to love herself no matter what the pressures of the industry).
Same story over and over. Writers write this story; readers respond to this story. So, I think….how do we reframe? Can we use the same script but recast the players?
Here is my recast:
Victim: Kesha or…Any of our kids
Villain: how about “the perfect storm” or “biological brain disorder” or “precipitating weight loss” or “severe symptomology”
Hero: “Proper Treatment” or “access to experienced evidence based support” or, maybe even just plain straight up ‘Science’.
Let’s use the script to our advantage.
Lisa Laborde
F.E.A.S.T. Outreach Director
