Killing My Body to Save My Mind by Lauren Slater

I Love Eating!

"Find a place where there's joy, and the joy will burn out the pain." - Joseph Campbell
Depression has ruined the lives of many people, and those people are unable to find joy. Through eating, however, this man was able to appreciate the beauty of life once again.
Source: http://archive.constantcontact.com/ 

Killing My Body to Save My Mind by Lauren Slater is an anecdote that shows the author’s transition from despondence to jubilation, but at a cost. Slater has taken many anti-depressant pills, but none have worked. One day, she came upon Zyprexa, a pill that significantly elevated her mood, allowing Slater to find happiness in life once again. However, Slater did not expect Zyprexa to lead to her obesity. The drug increased her appetite, causing Slater to have a wild obsession for food, which eventually resulted in high cholesterol and blood sugar levels. Slater was also informed that her risk of heart disease and diabetes would increase. The only issue is that the pill that was killing her body was also saving her mind. She had to choose between physical health and mental health, and Slater chose the latter. Having done so, Slater showed readers the benefits that came out of making sacrifices and accepting change. Many people today are afraid to change because of the potential ramifications of doing so. Having first hand experience with change and sacrifice, Slater assured her readers that only good can come out of transforming your life. By using an anecdote, Slater was able to immerse the reader into a realistic and engaging story about a pivotal event in her life, allowing the author to successfully achieve her purpose. Readers are able to relate to Slater’s experience because even the readers are definitely disappointed with some aspects of their lives. With a story of how her life was before and after, Slater comprehensively described how much better her life has become after change and sacrifice. To the readers, those who are afraid to change, Slater made sure to clarify that change is necessary for a jovial life. Repeatedly, Slater emphasized how happy she was with her new life and her descriptions are convincing enough to curtail her readers’ fear of change, which demonstrates her success in conveying her message.