There is no "try?"

I was out for drinks with a dear friend last night. For most of the evening we laughed so hard we nearly fell off our chairs, but occasionally the conversation turned to more serious issues. She asked about my recovery. My response was that I continue to "try to be well." She quoted Yoda (told you she was awesome) and said, "Do or do not. There is no 'try.'"

Now, had anyone else said that to me, I would likely have slapped them. But since this gal is who she is, I tried to take the comment as constructive criticism. Do we - people who have struggled with eating disorders for years - have the power to simply CHOOSE to be well? Does it boil down to deciding to be healthy or sick? Is it that easy?

A few years ago much was made about the book "The Secret." For those who aren't familiar with it, the premise is that you can accomplish anything simply by thinking positively. While I agree with this idea in certain situations - careers, personal relationships, financial goals - I don't believe it can be applied to disease. A person with cancer can have the most positive outlook in the world and still die.

Maybe the real issue is whether mental illness is viewed as an actual disease or just an excuse for bad behavior. There has been extensive controversy on this topic. Knowing what I do about neuropsychology, I count myself among the group that believes in genetic, biochemical, and physiological causes of genuine organic illness. There are a fair bunch of folks out there, though, who believe mood, anxiety, and personality disorders, eating disorders, chemical dependencies, etc. are simply manifestations of weakness, laziness, defiance, confusion, and lack of will.

If mental illness falls into the latter category, then it stands to reason that people should quite easily be able to choose between sickness and health. If, however, the causes of psychological disorders are much more complex and largely neurobiological, "The Secret" method doesn't hold water.

So let's turn this into a discussion. Do you believe mental illnesses - eating disorders in particular - can be "willed" away? Do you have any thoughts you'd like to share on the origins of psychological disorders?