Anorexia and Bulimia

[Guy]

Have you ever known someone with Anorexia or Bulimia?

 

[Ambers Troll]

No.. but my sister when younger used diuretics....bulimic behaviour.

 

[SatanJonez]

Have you ever known someone with Anorexia or Bulimia?

This is probably not something most people want to discuss in a public part of a forum. Eating disorders is a super sensitive subject to lots of folks.

 

[BiancaBaker]

This is probably not something most people want to discuss in a public part of a forum. Eating disorders is a super sensitive subject to lots of folks.

Agree. This is also probably really triggering to girls with an eating disorder as well- not many discuss it or want to discuss it.

 

[SNATCH]

I'll bite. - raises hand. I have. && asking or discussing it does not tigger me personally.

Mine was more a blend of both... [EDNOS] But I was a very serious binge eater. Then I'd either starve myself for weeks, or take laxatives to shit my life away. This went on for a few years to be honest. Then a male friend of mine also around the same time became Bulimic, which I didn't know until much later. I started out around like 175/180 lbs [which is absolutely huge for me bc I am very petite && I am only 5 feet tall] && by the time I got done with the shit I was doing, I ended up at like 125 lbs. Not gonna lie, I looked fucking GREAT compared to where I was before. But it was then that I started paying attention to what I was eating, exercising, etc. So it led to be becoming so much healthier.

Of course, I still struggle like everyone else, && I struggle daily, esp now that I've had some health problems that have made it more difficult to exercise, etc regularly.

At some point I really wanted a NEDA symbol, but I've noticed a lot of people have them && it would invite questions so I changed my mind, lol.

I will tell you this, I believe male eating disorders are common as shit, it's just that NOBODY talks about them... [When I say nobody I really mean the majority, not quite literally EVERYONE, even though it FEELS that way] I've known several men with them. Quite a lot actually. But it just seems that hardly anyone talks about it, mentions it, so whenever a guy does come out, everyone is uber surprised about it, etc.

 

[JickyJuly]

I was actively anorexic (+occasionally purging if I felt I ate "too much") starting at 15 and did not get help until 24. At my worst, I was 93 pounds and living on coffee/vodka/diet coke. For me, as with most people with food issues, it was just about controlling something. I certainly didn't feel prettier at under 100 pounds. I still get weird about food when I am very stressed out, but therapy has helped me. And, my husband cooks. So, if I can't stand to think about food, he just throws together something. That is a big help. I actually never feel triggered talking about my eating issues. It's nice to actually be honest about it since it's SUCH a secretive sneaky thing when you're living it. I've also gotten to a place where I don't feel ashamed that it is part of me. So many people have food issues and don't even notice. I'm just sad that it took me so much time to get help. And my teeth. Seriously messed up my grill.

 

[ACFFAN69]

I still get weird about food when I am very stressed out, but therapy has helped me. And, my husband cooks. So, if I can't stand to think about food, he just throws together something. That is a big help.

I think this is an important thing to stress for people uneducated about eating disorders. I think a lot of people don't consider how difficult a problem it can be to overcome. Unlike most other obsessions/addictions, you need food to live. With alcoholics for example, they can stop drinking, avoid situations that would cause them to drink, and go on sober for the rest of their lives (easier said then done of course). But with eating disorders you don't have that luxury. You need to actually learn to control your issue multiple times a day rather then control it through avoidance.

I've run the gambit as far as addictions to recreational substances, pretty much anything addictive you can try, I've binged on for at least weeks at a time. I've gone through some extremely rough opiate withdrawals before and most that know me in meat space would say I'm a functioning alcoholic (when I drink I can't stop, so I've learned to limit myself on how often I do). I've had issues quitting many things, but at the end of the day the one thing that keeps me healthy is the freedom of being able to limit my access to them.

I have all the respect in the world for those struggling with or have overcome eating disorders.

 

[SNATCH]

I was actively anorexic (+occasionally purging if I felt I ate "too much") starting at 15 and did not get help until 24. At my worst, I was 93 pounds and living on coffee/vodka/diet coke. For me, as with most people with food issues, it was just about controlling something. I certainly didn't feel prettier at under 100 pounds. I still get weird about food when I am very stressed out, but therapy has helped me. And, my husband cooks. So, if I can't stand to think about food, he just throws together something. That is a big help. I actually never feel triggered talking about my eating issues. It's nice to actually be honest about it since it's SUCH a secretive sneaky thing when you're living it. I've also gotten to a place where I don't feel ashamed that it is part of me. So many people have food issues and don't even notice. I'm just sad that it took me so much time to get help. And my teeth. Seriously messed up my grill.

AMEN, to the control issues. I've always had a food binging problem, it;s just I didn't actually REALIZE this until it was far too late... I didn't grow up in the healthiest food household either... && my mother had virtually no self control when it came to food, [or many other things, she was SERVERLY Manic/BiPolar] so naturally... I picked up many of her bad food habits growing up.... On my dad's side, they were the type to make you sit at the table til you eat EVERYTHING on your plate, so most nights I ended up sitting at the dinner table alone for 6 hours + because I would refuse to eat if I was full or if it was something I didn't want to eat, LMAO. But that was a big thing in that part of the household, THE CLEAN PLATE CLUB - eye roll.

I'm REALLY glad that you posted about this, because I didn't really elaborate on my food issues, etc.. && I am a complete fucking control freak, LOL. So a lot of it was about control, I was going through a lot of shit at the time, && that was quite literally the only thing that I felt I could control... I would go days without any food, && then I'd like faint here && there... It wasn't pretty lol.

I don't feel triggered by discussing it either, I have actually found that it helps IMMENSELY. I actually joined a very secret E/D forum back then, && it helped me so much with recovery... It was nice to not be fearful && alone during the middle/end of that time period, because it's EXHAUSTING trying to hide everything, && be so sneaky all the time...

Thank you for posting about this too Jicky, you brought up so many relevent things that I didn't have the time to mention XO.

 

[Vera]

Recovering bulimic here. Don't have a lot to say about it in the public forum, other than "it sucks." I went to treatment a few years ago and, as I get older, am learning to manage my life in healthier ways. A big help has been eliminating sugar and processed flour from my diet when it starts to rear its ugly head, and eating small meals through the day so I don't get weird about food in my stomach. Like the other ladies, mine is very control related. I am extremely type-A and have a "don't be a little bitch" complex in regards to how I treat myself, so I have a really hard time processing negative emotions..

Related: I am watching Naltrexone closely. It is an opioid antagonist which has proven effective in treating alcoholism, and I imagine it would be helpful for binge eating. I have very little faith in the 12-step program (though if it works for you, fantastic!) and may research it further the next time I hit a rough patch.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/overcoming-addiction/201307/drink-your-way-sober-naltrexone