'Celebrities At Home' With 'RHOA' Phaedra Parks
'Dancing With The Stars' Crowns A New Champion
How did they both wind up with the same diagnosis?Ken Seeley, author of "Face It and Fix It": The competition was so extreme that it took on many signs of OCD. The family enabled them by not identifying them as two daughters. When you have an upbringing like that, it can turn what might be a mild imbalance into a stronger illness.
The girls left college and the family allowed them to move back home and let the illness progress. By not taking drastic measures, the parents were showing that it was OK.
They were craving desperately to create their own identities -- Julia even had darker hair and Sonia's was cut shorter. But they didn't have the tools to get out.
Do families always play such a major role?
KS: Any time you tolerate an unhealthy behavior, you're contributing to it. The twins' parents had to change their behavior and say, "This is no longer acceptable within our family."
I've worked with clients who thought drinking or their temper was fine because they were Irish or Italian. I've worked with people who never realized they had anger issues because everyone around them always apologized for upsetting them.
Your book talks about identifying what you call Life-Imbalancing Behaviors (LIBs). Does everyone have an LIB?
KS: If you go to bed at night and have some form of depression, sadness or pain, or you just feel like something's missing from your life, you're in denial about some sort of LIB that you're not dealing with. If you can balance that out, you'll live a happier, healthier life.
Click Next to find out how the twins are doing now.
More from around the web:
How to help a friend with an eating disorder (College Candy) 
Famous folks who have twins (Mental Floss)
Kristin Chenoweth sings an intervention (Urlesque)
Comments:
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Friday 12 June
By Barbara
I think giving anorexics publicity especially on television is a very bad thing for young people watching. I don't think it is good for the anorexic either.
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Monday 15 June
By Courtney
I am currently struggling with anorexia and while I did not see the show, I think it is a good thing to bring the issue to light. Constantly we are overwhelmed with ads for diet pills, ways to lose weight, and what we should and shouldn't be eating. This makes it so hard for me to get healthier. I think it's good that people get the chance to see the effects of people taking diet advice too far.
Saturday 20 June
By Judy Wallis
Your comment was not to talk about this disease on TV because it may give teens an ideal to loose weight. I know nothing about this disease, how it starts, or why. I will say by bringing it out to the public, the sick person can see how bad they look on TV (I have heard that being on TV automatically puts 10 lbs on you). That it's not natural to look like a concentration camp victim. I guess it's like being morbidly obese. People look as though they are deformed. People who are sick enough to make themselves look like a walking skelton is very sick in the head. Fit people look rosey, healthy, and full of energy instead of the walking dead.
Monday 15 June
By Laura
This guy is a complete idiot! Why NOT to purchase his book- He states "If you go to bed with depression, you're in denial". What a moron! He doesn't know the first thing about depression or how to 'fix' it. Sure, some things we can 'face and fix', but others are a little more complicated than that. ALL depression isn't because we are 'in denial'!
What a moron! Don't waste your money- his book will make some people suicidal, because they won't be able to 'simply 'fix it''. What a jack-ass!
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Friday 19 June
By fritzie7207
As a health care professional and former anorexic as a teen, I am very grateful that there are venues with information available
for people who are struggling with life threatening diseases and disorders. People can get help and recover to lead normal, healthy lives. I salute "Intervention" for the great gift if has been in many people's lives..
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Friday 19 June
By Judy
I am an identical twin and my beloved sister is sick and now weighs 30 pounds less thatn I do. Do not mess with each others heads it is dangerous and eventually you will realize that your twin is moe than you think. They are absolutely the other half of you.
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Saturday 20 June
By anonymous
I am an identical twin. I also had an eating disorder, of which I was anorexic for 15 yrs, followed by purging disorder, and relasping between the two.....My twin was condemned for "not losing weight like me". That wasn't right of my family to do. It just made her feel worse, and they didn't understand that I had a serious eating disorder. she had one too, but it was overeating....but, yes, your twin is the other half of you. Its hard to survive without the other.
Friday 19 June
By Stephenie
I would have to disagree with the previous comment. If anorexia was bad to be put in the media spotlight due to a young person's sake.. that's like saying it's okay! I think it's good to show young teens how serious Anorexia is, and the effects it has, you never know who it might save. I know this considering I struggled with Bulimia and Anorexia!
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