The aim of this research is to study the enigma of anorexia nervosa, and its survival from a positive point of view. The subjects are Finnish ex-anorectic women (N= 11), between the ages of 23 and 45 years. The focus of this article is to describe and discuss the features and factors that made survival possible and to consider the actual process that led to survival.Furthermore, the attention is drawn to positive coping strategies and the present article is based on positive psychology. The study offers hope to everyone who struggles with this difficult disease and their loved ones, friends, teachers, and healthcare professionals.

The aim of this research is to reveal those factors that make an individual enter an anorectic world in adolescence. Why does a young woman develop anorexia? What makes one go to a journey to that "Wonderland"? The causes of anorexia were collected from the narratives of 11 Finnish women who survived their own anorexic trip as winners. Anorexia is a serious psychiatric condition that can lead to death at its worst. The causes of anorexia have not been clearly evidenced which makes it difficult to draw a distinct insight of the problems of anorexia. This article reveals the reasons and factors that make usually good and dutiful girls destroy themselves and their lives hooked by anorexia. Furthermore, the complex nature of eating disorder is discussed from an educational perspective because when pursuing toward the ideal of education, one performs to excess.

Objectives:Anorexia is a serious psychiatric condition that can lead to death at its worst; therefore, survival is not guaranteed or the results of treatments appear inconsistent. The present research gives an extraordinary and unique insight into anorexia and exanorectic patients' experiences of survival. Methods:This is a narrative study where 11 Finnish women who survived anorexia successfully revealed their stories and contemplated the treatments they had undergone. Their stories serve as examples of exanorectic patients' survival stories. The special focus is on understanding the emotional aspect during the treatment. Results:There is no specific treatment that would help all anorectic patients. The most important thing is to help the patients with anorexia to understand what the illness is all about. Conclusions:Self-abuse, fear, and anxiety can be overcome with the love and joy of life: ''the appetite for life.''

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