Willow Rosenberg
I might be just like you!
What's your take on eating disorders? Do you have any personal experiences or insight you would like to share to those who may be struggling?
Issue of the Week - Eating Disorders
- Thread starter Willow Rosenberg
- Start date
S
silvephantom
Guest
My cousin has an eating disorder. It's terrible. My mom and dad are saying it's for attention, but she and I had a long talk, and I realise it's not. She sees herself as skinny, but when she eats something, she feels imensly fat, and needs to get rid of it. She thinks everyone notices her, and judges her, and thinks she's fat. It's awful.
Jill_Valentine
Sacred and Profane
I can't really offer an opinion, but I can offer a sort of related story.
When I was in school, some other kids came to me and asked me to tell a teacher that one of the girls was making herself sick every lunchtime. I wanted to find out for myself and waited once. She didn't show. I never brought it any further, but I always suspected she was and hasn't stopped. I don't know her well enough to bring it up now, since we're both out of school. I just wish I'd tried harder at time. I wonder about it a lot.
When I was in school, some other kids came to me and asked me to tell a teacher that one of the girls was making herself sick every lunchtime. I wanted to find out for myself and waited once. She didn't show. I never brought it any further, but I always suspected she was and hasn't stopped. I don't know her well enough to bring it up now, since we're both out of school. I just wish I'd tried harder at time. I wonder about it a lot.
eponinethen
Majk
I've never had eating disorders myself.. But I have two really close and several not so close friends who has..
One of my friends.. she stopped eating when she was 13.. She's been near death several times and she has spent a lot of time in the hospital.. She's 18 now, and she eats, but she would never eat anything that's not very very healthy food.. She only eats vegetables and drinks water.. Three times a day, it's almost like she follows a schedule..
One of my friends.. she stopped eating when she was 13.. She's been near death several times and she has spent a lot of time in the hospital.. She's 18 now, and she eats, but she would never eat anything that's not very very healthy food.. She only eats vegetables and drinks water.. Three times a day, it's almost like she follows a schedule..
I well went thru that in jr. high wasnt eating, bugged the hell outa everybody--- I ate outside of school but when everyone found out I had to eat at school, my freinds watched over me ... to hard to really get into more details--but it never helps when your father calls you a hippo!!!
doppelgänger2
Meh.
I have a lot experience of that, since I "suffer" from eating disorders.
I've been treated at a clinic and going to a psychologist and all that. I don't know if you can ever get cured from this, it doesn't feel like it. I'm not being pessimistic, I feel like going to that clinic has been rather good for me and nowadays I'm not as bad as I used to be. But I can never get rid of that pressure from society and myself. Some periods I'm eating okay and feeling good. Then comes a period when I "forget" to eat and feel like crap, can't go out cause I'm convinced everybody's hating me because I'm probably the ugliest chick in town. Then comes the eating like a horse. I can't stop eating, but not in front of people cause I'm afraid they'll judge me for eating that much and call me mean things. So I hide away to eat that much.
And it all goes around in a constant circle.
I have no idea how and why it started. My psychologist says it some kind of childhood trauma that's manifesting itself this way. All I know is that it's been like this forever. When I was young I couldn't understand why I was like this. It was normal for me so I didn't know it was "wrong." When I was 17 my doctor diagnosed me with anemia (caused by me not eating enough) and I'm on medication for life. While going on treatment for that my doctor found out I was making myself vomit after meals. So he put me in treatment in this clinic for eating disorders.
Okay, this feels kinda hard and strange for me to post. As I'm always afraid people will think I'm a freak and stuff. But still, I'm gonna be brave now and share this cause people should talk more about this Issue.
So thanks Cordelia for bringing it up 😀
I've been treated at a clinic and going to a psychologist and all that. I don't know if you can ever get cured from this, it doesn't feel like it. I'm not being pessimistic, I feel like going to that clinic has been rather good for me and nowadays I'm not as bad as I used to be. But I can never get rid of that pressure from society and myself. Some periods I'm eating okay and feeling good. Then comes a period when I "forget" to eat and feel like crap, can't go out cause I'm convinced everybody's hating me because I'm probably the ugliest chick in town. Then comes the eating like a horse. I can't stop eating, but not in front of people cause I'm afraid they'll judge me for eating that much and call me mean things. So I hide away to eat that much.
And it all goes around in a constant circle.
I have no idea how and why it started. My psychologist says it some kind of childhood trauma that's manifesting itself this way. All I know is that it's been like this forever. When I was young I couldn't understand why I was like this. It was normal for me so I didn't know it was "wrong." When I was 17 my doctor diagnosed me with anemia (caused by me not eating enough) and I'm on medication for life. While going on treatment for that my doctor found out I was making myself vomit after meals. So he put me in treatment in this clinic for eating disorders.
Okay, this feels kinda hard and strange for me to post. As I'm always afraid people will think I'm a freak and stuff. But still, I'm gonna be brave now and share this cause people should talk more about this Issue.
So thanks Cordelia for bringing it up 😀
E
eponinethen
I don't think anyone will think your a feak. This is a really common problem, although in different degrees. And even though I don't have these problems I can relate to the feelings and situations you're describing.. Thanks.
Willow Rosenberg
I might be just like you!
I'm so sorry you have to feel like that hun... I think it shows a lot of strength that you could tell us about it 🙂
About two years ago, I lost about 20lbs, even though I was never what people would call "Fat" to begin with...I started the healthy way, eating right and exercing, but then I started to feel the weight wasn't coming off fast enough. I couldn't make myself vomit, so I turned to laxatives (I know its gross) I would take them every day and in large doses. I whittled my self down to the point where I was beginning to look very drawn and according to one of my friends "borderline anorexic" but all I saw was fat still.
My friends and family really helped me through. I put some of my weight back on, but I can't say I'm not happy. I may still think I could stand to lose 10lbs, but I know that it's nothing to get so worked up over that I have to hurt myself.
About two years ago, I lost about 20lbs, even though I was never what people would call "Fat" to begin with...I started the healthy way, eating right and exercing, but then I started to feel the weight wasn't coming off fast enough. I couldn't make myself vomit, so I turned to laxatives (I know its gross) I would take them every day and in large doses. I whittled my self down to the point where I was beginning to look very drawn and according to one of my friends "borderline anorexic" but all I saw was fat still.
My friends and family really helped me through. I put some of my weight back on, but I can't say I'm not happy. I may still think I could stand to lose 10lbs, but I know that it's nothing to get so worked up over that I have to hurt myself.
eponinethen
Majk
Ok, I'm not comfortable talking about this, since I'm not even sure.. I mean it's really no big deal. But about 3 years ago, awhen I returned to school after the summer, many of my friends said that I had lost a lot of weight.. I wasn't really skinny or anything, but I guess I was a lot thinner than before.. The same thing happened 2 years ago, or my teacher (and my mother and some friends, not at the same time) came up to me and asked me how I felt and said that I had gotten really thin during the summer and that I needed to eat, she also told me to talk to someone about this, which I didn't, cause it wasn't a problem.. I never deliberately tried to lose weight.. ok that's not true but.. I didn't vomit or anything.. And I ate, at least sometimes.. But now that I think about it, I was sick for two months after that, maybe that had to do with the not eating thing..
The thing is, as I said, a lot of the people I hung out with then have different eating disorders, some don't eat, some vomit some eat but very very little.. And I started feeling digusting when I ate. I knew just how wrong and weird that was, but still..
I'm not trying to make this sound like something that matters, cause it really isn't.. I just thought, since there's a thread about this.. aww.. never mind.
The thing is, as I said, a lot of the people I hung out with then have different eating disorders, some don't eat, some vomit some eat but very very little.. And I started feeling digusting when I ate. I knew just how wrong and weird that was, but still..
I'm not trying to make this sound like something that matters, cause it really isn't.. I just thought, since there's a thread about this.. aww.. never mind.
nerd4hire
Certified Uncloneable
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I went through this disease with someone close to me, and me being me, I of course researched it.
As usual with things you research I discovered the more you learn the less you know.
The more I learned the more problems presented themself.
I discovered it's difficult for a third party to get inside the sufferers barriers to help.
Also in my case by the time I figured out she had a problem, she had identified me as a threat in that I had gotten close to her.
One thing appears to be constant no matter if it is a famine, purge, feast then famine, or combination of vaireties of eating disorders. There are pschycological components, and there are a few that appear to be constant through every variety of weight loss eating disorder. Correct me if I'm wrong.
* a need to establish personal control over one's life, and the self-discipine to do it.
* Feelings of a lack of self-worth.
* A need to feel close, yet an aversion to closeness when it's recognized.
* A need to keep his or her problem secret, and a willingness to go to radical lengths to keep that secret; deception, or pushing away anyone who gets too close.
* An addictive quality to the disorder.
All these things make it difficult to help someone who is sufferering. When you get close enough to help them they're pushing you away, and, are intelligent, ordered, and tricky enough to be damn good at it.
With the girl I wanted to help, there was an added problem. Anorexia in particular appears to be prevalent amongst the last types of people you would expect to have problems, intelligent, disciplined people of a higher social strata, often with good homes, and supportive people around them.
There is another variety of the disorder though that is seen in people coming out of a dysfunctional family life. These people often have other addictive problems complicating the process. Often they feast one day then starve themselves for weeks afterwards, and sometimes purge as well. Apparently these people are the most difficult to help, and that's the problem the girl I knew had.
As for a couple of the posts I've read on this thread, in comparison I would say in the opinion of someone who's seen the thing up close, your problems (and yes it appears you do, or may have a serious problem from what you say) has some encouraging aspects.
In diffent variations you're willing to admit something's wrong, you're getting help, or thinking about it, and you appear to have a support system around you that wants to help. I would say don't be discouraged. You would appear to have a really good shot at beating this thing.
As usual with things you research I discovered the more you learn the less you know.
The more I learned the more problems presented themself.
I discovered it's difficult for a third party to get inside the sufferers barriers to help.
Also in my case by the time I figured out she had a problem, she had identified me as a threat in that I had gotten close to her.
One thing appears to be constant no matter if it is a famine, purge, feast then famine, or combination of vaireties of eating disorders. There are pschycological components, and there are a few that appear to be constant through every variety of weight loss eating disorder. Correct me if I'm wrong.
* a need to establish personal control over one's life, and the self-discipine to do it.
* Feelings of a lack of self-worth.
* A need to feel close, yet an aversion to closeness when it's recognized.
* A need to keep his or her problem secret, and a willingness to go to radical lengths to keep that secret; deception, or pushing away anyone who gets too close.
* An addictive quality to the disorder.
All these things make it difficult to help someone who is sufferering. When you get close enough to help them they're pushing you away, and, are intelligent, ordered, and tricky enough to be damn good at it.
With the girl I wanted to help, there was an added problem. Anorexia in particular appears to be prevalent amongst the last types of people you would expect to have problems, intelligent, disciplined people of a higher social strata, often with good homes, and supportive people around them.
There is another variety of the disorder though that is seen in people coming out of a dysfunctional family life. These people often have other addictive problems complicating the process. Often they feast one day then starve themselves for weeks afterwards, and sometimes purge as well. Apparently these people are the most difficult to help, and that's the problem the girl I knew had.
As for a couple of the posts I've read on this thread, in comparison I would say in the opinion of someone who's seen the thing up close, your problems (and yes it appears you do, or may have a serious problem from what you say) has some encouraging aspects.
In diffent variations you're willing to admit something's wrong, you're getting help, or thinking about it, and you appear to have a support system around you that wants to help. I would say don't be discouraged. You would appear to have a really good shot at beating this thing.