The eating disorder thread [trigger warning] (1 Viewer)

[kfnmpah]

So it has recently been brought to my attention that eating disorders are a tad ubiquitous and people may or may not turn to the wrong people/places for help

ITT: we talk about our ED's in a way that may

a) help non ED people understand
b) give people who are crash dieting a window into why they should stop dat and just eat healthily
c) post useful links and discuss recovery etc
d) just talk about how fucked they are/were

If you post pro-ed bullshit (pictures, quotes, links to things that have pictures of emaciated models) or make fun of people i will report you so hard you'll have to stick a toothbrush up your butt to brush your teeth ok
this thread is meant to be informing/eye opening etc

edit: also if people have genuine queries about eating disorders this is probably the place to ask them

 

[Blue Suede]

I've been accused of having an ED many times, but never been diagnosed.

I think there's a huge misunderstanding about what actually constitutes one, and the differences between bulimia and anorexia. It's very possible to not actually appear significantly underweight and have an eating disorder, or be thin and yet maintain a relatively healthy eating pattern.


One of the most insightful books I've read is Wasted: A Memoir of Anorexia and Bulimia by Marya Hornbacher which you can download here. She's an intelligent individual and writes in an engaging way, though it's worth remembering that hers is a personal story and by no means representative of everyone's experience with an ED.

 

[kfnmpah]

For half of year 11 and all of year 12 my mum had to take 2 hours off work almost every day to come and eat lunch with me in the car out the front of school.

One time I was going for a run even though I was exhausted and I really didn't want to. I took my phone with me just incase I thought I was going to pass out. Eventually I called my mum, crying, but I physically couldn't stop running. She had to leave work to come get me so I would stop.


Eating disorders. Terrible stuff.

The best place I've ever been to is a place in Bondi Junction: http://www.totalhealthcare.net.au/sitex/
You have to go to your GP, get an allied health plan and be referred to Michael Kohn where you are given an initial assessment and they send you down the road to get a bone scan
then Dr. Kohn will refer you to the dietitian and counselor (who are both *amazing*)
The dietitian, Sue Zbornik, has some videos on youtube iirc.

Medicare covers 5 visits and if you have private health insurance, they give you rebates as well.

 

[kfnmpah]

I think there's a huge misunderstanding about what actually constitutes one, and the differences between bulimia and anorexia. It's very possible to not actually appear significantly underweight and have an eating disorder, or be thin and yet maintain a relatively healthy eating pattern.

Yes the criteria for anorexia are quite specific in regards to BMI and menstrual cycles. Same with bulimia as to the number and frequency or your binges and purges.
If you don't meet those exact criteria, you are diagnosed with EDNOS (eating disorder not otherwise specified) but I mean it should obviously all be treated with the same amount of seriousness.

There are two types of anorexia, which i guess is where the confusion lies. There's binge-purge anorexia and restricting type anorexia, but again there's obviously a blurring of the lines between the two.

fun fact: most bulimics (note: not binge purge type anorexia) are a normal weight or slightly over weight

 

[Riproot]

Is it common to have leg pain if you have an ED like anorexia?

 

[Blue Suede]

Can I ask if there was a particular something that helped you recover, or was it a gradual process of working with dieticians and counsellors (assuming it was a CBT program?) that helped?

 

[kfnmpah]

Is it common to have leg pain if you have an ED like anorexia?

idk if you are being serious or not but seriously i will report any bad posts so fast you won't know what's going on.

Obviously if you are deficient in vitamins/minerals (magnesium and potassium for example) etc you will experience muscle cramps among other symptoms. No calcium = shin splints and also your bones become weaker due to acidic conditions decreasing bone density

the worst thing that still effects me after like 2 years of semi-normal eating is heart damage/bad circulation which i guess can cause pains in the extremities

 

[kfnmpah]

Can I ask if there was a particular something that helped you recover, or was it a gradual process of working with dieticians and counsellors (assuming it was a CBT program?) that helped?

tbh I am not fully recovered. Most anorexics don't fully recover (i think i read 1 in 5 fully recover, 1 in 5 die and the rest are EDNOS or just have 'disordered eating')

Well, it's strange when i was at my sickest I didn't realise what I was doing. It isn't a weight thing. This 'thing' took over my brain and made me do whatever it was that made me sick which has caused a lot of memory loss. It controleld me physically i.e. can't stop running, couldn't pick up cutlery sometimes etc

When i realised is when it became really difficult for that ED part of me to control me so I went through the binge restrict cycle for about a year, saw dietitian and a counselor once a week for 18 months and eventually I guess I got sick of it so i tried.

I guess you just have to not want to be sick anymore or something idk.

 

[Riproot]

idk if you are being serious or not but seriously i will report any bad posts so fast you won't know what's going on.

Obviously if you are deficient in vitamins/minerals (magnesium and potassium for example) etc you will experience muscle cramps among other symptoms. No calcium = shin splints and also your bones become weaker due to acidic conditions decreasing bone density

the worst thing that still effects me after like 2 years of semi-normal eating is heart damage/bad circulation which i guess can cause pains in the extremities

I'm being srs, report whatever, but I'm being srs so if anything gets infracted

Maybe that's why I get pains all the time then. lol
Should probably start eating, but summer is coming soon so maybe after Xmas.
#yolo

(told you)

 

[Blue Suede]

You do not eat healthily. lol
You don't have an eating disorder, but I don't think you eat ~healthily~ (manning chips whaddup)

I'm actually pretty good apart from the odd times where I don't eat for ~30 hours. But that's relatively rare these days. I now recognise I need food for my brain to function, and I value my brain fairly highly. Having manning chips once every 2 weeks or so doesn't constitute eating unhealthily (government bodies recommend only 1-2 unhealthy meals, such as take-out per week and I'd only have that). You know I never eat maccas when we go.

Yes the criteria for anorexia are quite specific in regards to BMI and menstrual cycles. Same with bulimia as to the number and frequency or your binges and purges.
If you don't meet those exact criteria, you are diagnosed with EDNOS (eating disorder not otherwise specified) but I mean it should obviously all be treated with the same amount of seriousness.

There are two types of anorexia, which i guess is where the confusion lies. There's binge-purge anorexia and restricting type anorexia, but again there's obviously a blurring of the lines between the two.

fun fact: most bulimics (note: not binge purge type anorexia) are a normal weight or slightly over weight

Yeah, I know this stuff (I studied the diagnosis of eating disorders in a psych class). For interested people, you can find details of diagnosis here. But DSM-V is coming out next year, so there will be some changes to diagnosis criteria.

Is it common to have leg pain if you have an ED like anorexia?

It's not overly common, but it could be explained by things like muscle wastage if you're losing incredible amounts of weight, or lactic acid if you're not eating the right foods.

 

[Riproot]

I'm actually pretty good apart from the odd times where I don't eat for ~30 hours. But that's relatively rare these days. I now recognise I need food for my brain to function, and I value my brain fairly highly. Having manning chips once every 2 weeks or so doesn't constitute eating unhealthily (government bodies recommend only 1-2 unhealthy meals, such as take-out per week and I'd only have that). You know I never eat maccas when we go.

Okay... so now I'm not convinced you don't have an ED.
#worried

It's not overly common, but it could be explained by things like muscle wastage if you're losing incredible amounts of weight, or lactic acid if you're not eating the right foods.

What if I'm not eating much at all?

Like I had 3 tim tams and a bowl of mi goreng today.

#futuredoctor

 

[soloooooo]

Bulimia is a terrible disease.

 

[Blue Suede]

Okay... so now I'm not convinced you don't have an ED.
#worried

But lyk I'm always eating when I see you and I drink my medical food drinks every day and when I was in hospital I saw a dietician who said I was below normal but doing ok and it wasn't anything to worry about. Just because I sometimes don't feel like eating doesn't instantly = ED. And just because I have an unusual body type it doesn't mean it's ok to assume I have an ED.

What if I'm not eating much at all?

Like I had 3 tim tams and a bowl of mi goreng today.

#futuredoctor

Why aren't you eating much? Just not eating as a way to flatten your stomach is a lazy/unhealthy option as opposed to eating properly + exercising a reasonable amount.

 

[kfnmpah]

Bulimia is a terrible disease.

All eating disorders are equally terrible an should be treated as such.

Once I took 27 laxatives to compensate for eating some pasta or something (27, because 27 is 3 x 3 x 3 or 3^3 and you know OCD whaddup) and it was one of the most painful things I have ever experienced.

Laxative abuse. Terrible stuff.

 

[kfnmpah]

But lyk I'm always eating when I see you and I drink my medical food drinks every day and when I was in hospital I saw a dietician who said I was below normal but doing ok and it wasn't anything to worry about. Just because I sometimes don't feel like eating doesn't instantly = ED. And just because I have an unusual body type it doesn't mean it's ok to assume I have an ED.

Why aren't you eating much? Just not eating as a way to flatten your stomach is a lazy/unhealthy option as opposed to eating properly + exercising a reasonable amount.

this is another thing.

I have major issues with people describing skinny people as anorexic it is so inappropriate and ignorant.

brb jumping on my soap box

(j-rod if you want to lose weight, ask a q in the 'losing weight' thread in fitness and health)
(i might add I don't think you need to lose weight but if you want to change your body composition i.e. not be skinny-fat anymore then you need to switch up your macro nutrient intake)

 

[Riproot]

But lyk I'm always eating when I see you and I drink my medical food drinks every day and when I was in hospital I saw a dietician who said I was below normal but doing ok and it wasn't anything to worry about. Just because I sometimes don't feel like eating doesn't instantly = ED. And just because I have an unusual body type it doesn't mean it's ok to assume I have an ED.

Well, I don't think from your body type just from like substituting drinks for food, not eating maccas simply because it's recommended by da gubbament to only eat 1-2 shit things per week is bad because like that's a meal that you aren't eating, so bad food is better than no food (also maccas is fine as long as you don't eat too much, 2-3 maccas meals is like 100% DI of heaps of stuff and you're set.

Why aren't you eating much? Just not eating as a way to flatten your stomach is a lazy/unhealthy option as opposed to eating properly + exercising a reasonable amount.

Because cbf and summer and yay!

Sounds like it's for me.
It's also faster.

 

[Riproot]

this is another thing.

I have major issues with people describing skinny people as anorexic it is so inappropriate and ignorant.

brb jumping on my soap box

(j-rod if you want to lose weight, ask a q in the 'losing weight' thread in fitness and health)
(i might add I don't think you need to lose weight but if you want to change your body composition i.e. not be skinny-fat anymore then you need to switch up your macro nutrient intake)

(I was just stating that your original B point isn't really a bad thing and shouldn't be there)
(I'll do what I want when I want)

 

[soloooooo]

I'm not anorexic but do go on stupid diets every now and again [and I am not even overweight or anything really].
E.g. bought 50 serves of some diet shake the other day and it tastes disgusting, but has good reviews. It is jsut ridiculously sweet and I bought the flavour that everyone said was the best
Or other times I have gone on fruit only diets etc.
A diet of white rice.

I drink lots of water as I worry about being dehydrated. Don't eat meat either etc...

I skip meals sometimes too. Breakfast is about a 20% chance. Lunch is about a 50% chance. Dinner is about a 70/80% chance. It is not skipping because of any food reason, more jsut because I either don't feel like eating or can't be bothered cooking/preparing something.

 

[soloooooo]

Probably about 6 months ago I ate nothing but apples for 2 or 3 weeks after reading about it.

 

[kfnmpah]

I'm not anorexic but do go on stupid diets every now and again [and I am not even overweight or anything really].
E.g. bought 50 serves of some diet shake the other day and it tastes disgusting, but has good reviews. It is jsut ridiculously sweet and I bought the flavour that everyone said was the best
Or other times I have gone on fruit only diets etc.
A diet of white rice.

I drink lots of water as I worry about being dehydrated. Don't eat meat either etc...

yeah it's pretty consuming isn't it. I am speaking for myself here but it always always always leads to a binge and a huge amount of guilt
i do ridiculous things like this all the time and I wish I didn't but I just can't control my relationship with food it's just so tarnished.