Why didn't Karen seek more professional help for Anorexia?

And speaking of dysfunctional shrinks... Karen spoke with numerous psychologists, psychiatrists, and therapists with usually VERY, VERY... BAD RESULTS.

One therapist that Karen visited accused Karen of being an over achiever. Like Karen said to me, "How can I be an over achiever when I really don't have any goals or objectives? Figure that one out."

Like Karen said, "It seemed like every time I said something to one of them, I got told that I was wrong and that I was lying. A prime example is that me and my brother Richard have never competed against each other. I told them that Richard and I are brother and sister so we compliment and not compete with one another. What were Richard and I going to compete over? Who could iron shirts the fastest? For some reason they couldn't answer me on that one."

And Karen said, "I remember the one session where me and my family were there and they kept accusing us of being liars and that we were just trying to cover up for each other and hide from the truth, so I asked them what the truth was and we all just sat there silent for a little while and then we all just walked out on them and never went back. That's the truth."

And Karen said, "It seemed like a game with them that every time I said something they would try to tell me that I said the exact opposite of what I said. I would try to correct them and they would say that I wasn't listening. So then I said, Earth to therapist, if I wasn't listening then how did I know that what you said wasn't what I said?"

Another time Karen said to me, "They seem to just keep trying to dig up dirt on me for the tabloids. I don't have any dirt. I have nothing to hide. So they keep making stuff up."

And another time Karen said, "Most of the time I have no idea who they are talking about. About all I hear is the word Karen and then a bunch of stuff comes out of their mouths that doesn't make any sense or sound like me at all."

And yet another time, "Past regressive therapy is very expensive but it works. Afterwards we found out that there was nothing in my past lives to cause an eating disorder."

And all of this talk of epicac syrup in mass quantities. Karen hid it so well that even she couldn't find it apparently. I did see Karen take laxatives a few times and she said, "I feel constipated. I haven't gone in a while." And I was like, "Your eyes are brown. You're probably full of it and a laxative might help. My eyes are blue so I'm a quart low. I probably ought to start eating corks to help hold it in more." And we both laughed. I honestly don't remember Karen ever trying to hide taking a laxative when I was around her from September 1978 to June 1979 to be honest. But then the point of hiding is so that others don't see so I don't truly know for sure on that. I do know that Karen did at least once put her finger down her throat to make herself puke and she admitted it to me. So that is why that epicac syrup story doesn't sound right to me. Epicac syrup has calories and such. A finger doesn't have calories and is a lot cheaper and you don't have to worry about getting rid of the container afterwards either.

And speaking of September 1978 to June 1979, Karen was a school teacher and staying with her cousin Wendy who taught Karen how to knit and crochet while they watched video taped soap operas on a beta max. Karen didn't have anyone hanging over her shoulder while she was a teacher including her parents or Richard. Karen started doing her solo album with Phil Ramone and Karen was constantly being watched over and not allowed to leave Phil, Rod Temperton, or Snitchy's sight while doing her solo album. Rod and Karen used to joke together and call Phil's house 'the compound' and Phil and Snitchy were the 'gestapo' and the big joke was "Let's make a break for it" between Karen and Rod. Honest, Karen told me that at Phil's house, Karen had constant supervision and couldn't leave the house without someone going with her. So when Itchy and Phil talk about how controlling the Carpenters were and such, I don't believe it. I know better. I heard the exact opposite out of Karen's mouth herself. And I was around Karen when she was teaching and I can definitely say that Karen's family was not controlling Karen. And as Rod warned Karen, "Anything you tell Snitchy, Phil knows." so honestly, I know Karen used to lie to Snitchy as Karen couldn't trust her. And hearing some of the stuff that Snitchy has said, I can understand why Karen lied to her too. When you lie to someone and they repeat that lie, you know who said it because no one else knows that lie but the one you tell that lie to. Karen Carpenter never trusted Karen 'Itchy/Snitchy' Ramone and it shows in the things that Snitchy has said.

And then, "I don't know what the big deal is that my mother doesn't hug me makes the front page. My mother doesn't hug my brother either but you never hear that mentioned." And honestly, I saw Karen and her brother hug each other both times that Richard visited Karen at the school. Once in 1978 and once in 1979. I can only imagine what the tabloids would have done if they had got pictures of that. And honestly, they just hugged. Very heart felt hugs, but hugs none the less. In all honesty, Karen's and Richard's mother, Agnes, was not someone that hugged people. Agnes was never a mean person unless you did something wrong, she just wasn't a hugger. And Karen said, "I was there and they brought my mom in and told me and my mom to hug each other. It was very awkward because my mom was not a hugger and they never discussed this with me or my mom beforehand. So there they were trying to force me and my mom to hug each other. It was horrible. You don't force people to hug each other like that in front of total strangers. I don't know what they were thinking but I let them know what I was thinking and they didn't like it. Next thing I know it ends up in the papers with a lot of misleading information as usual. I am actually glad that me and my mother didn't hug because they probably would have accused us of being what was that word again?" And I said, "Lezzies, um, lesbians." And Karen was like, "Yeah, they would have probably put it all over the papers that me and my mom were lesbians. I'm so furious over this. How is trying to traumatize people helping them?" And I was like, "I'm going to duck now, but if you do turn lesbian can I watch?" And Karen gave me that evil look like I knew she would and said, "Not funny Adrian (Karen would give me a 'warning shot' calling me by my real name Adrian instead of my nickname Ace when I had 'crossed the lines' with her). Honestly, I like guy parts, not girl parts. I thought about it, and I could never be like that." And she smiled and then said, "Thanks, I just realized that how can I turn lesbian or whatever when I can't even bring myself to hug my own mother?" And I was like, "Yeah, you can't believe all that you read in the tabloids. But then again, some people will believe anything or else the tabloids wouldn't be selling. I mean honestly, your therapy sessions are supposed to be private. Like you said, this is bad, and you're right about that, I would be furious too." And she was like, "Richard's looking into it. There were definitely some breach of privacy issues broken. Thanks for being my sounding board. I've been so upset lately over this as you've probably noticed. Thanks for helping me feel better like always." And I was like, "My pleasure. It's always great seeing that awesome smile of yours. Thanks." And she was like, "Pardon me for asking, but have you ever thought about becoming a doctor when you get older? I think you would make a good doctor. You've always helped me out a lot." And I was like, "I've thought about it, Doctor Ace, but it's not like the old days when people became doctors to help people. Anymore, it's all about making money as you've been noticing and I'm not like that."

I am not sure if this is a continuation of the "hug me" incident or something else possibly. But I remember Karen telling me that her and her mother were at the mental clinic and Karen and her mother were together in a therapy session. After the psychiatrist or therapist had tried to accuse her family of not caring about Karen, Karen became so furious at them that she burst into tears and started yelling at them. As Karen said to me, "My family has always been there for me and trying to say that my family didn't care about me was the straw that broke the camel's back. If it wasn't for my family suggesting it, I never would have went there in the first place. But I was having problems and it seemed like they (psychologists, psychiatrists, and therapists) only made my problems worst. I had the eating disorder and it had nothing to do with my family. No one else in my family had the problem of anorexia nervosa and so trying to blame my family just does not make any sense. But saying my family did not love or care about me was just an outright lie and I let them have it for saying that. I was furious and in tears because I was so mad at them." Karen dropped the F bomb on them right in front of her mother and Karen was waiting for her mother to backhand her but instead Karen's mother said to Karen something like "Enough Karen, we need to leave this place. This place isn't doing you any good or me either." And Karen and her mom walked out of the place and to the family car in the parking lot of the clinic. Karen then told me that her mother got Karen into the car and then gave Karen the keys to the car and told Karen that if a bunch of emergency vehicles showed up that Karen needed to leave with the car and get out of there and just go home. Karen's mother told Karen that now it was her turn to give them a piece of her mind after what had happened (which probably was the 'hug' session, but not 100% sure now, but close to 100%). Karen's mother then gave Karen a "I'm probably never going to see you again" hug and slammed the door to the car and proceeded to walk at least a half city block back into the clinic and Karen said that she had the windows rolled up in the car and could still hear every word her mother said to them after her mother went inside the building. Karen's mother came back out afterwards and got into the car and Karen and her mother left and went home. When Karen got the bill, she went into the clinic and the people there were holding the doors for her and apologizing and such. Karen went in and paid the bill and then left and never went back there again.

Karen did not want to be seen as a person that talked bad about others which is why she avoided talking about her situations with the shrinks and stuff publicly or in interviews.