Annorexic Tendancies

[KookieDoh]

A great many of the "symptoms" you describe are typical to most successful dieters.

Most dieters count calories obsessively, most exercise and feel guilty when they don't. Most have an ideal weight that keeps going down and it is by no means unusual to have a pair of skinny jeans you are determined to get into.

Anorexia is a whole different ball game.

I suffered from both anorexia and bulimia all through my twenties and you pretty much know you have an eating disorder no matter how much you deny it to other people. If you know you have crossed the line between dedicated dieter and ana sufferer, get help NOW.

However to put it into perspective, obesity is a far, far more common disease and every bit as deadly as anorexia.

There are far more of us killing ourselves from gluttony than there are people starving themselves to death in a country of plenty.

Desperate for chocolate is right to a degree. I am a body dysmorphic which many assume is like anorexia and while some sufferers have it too, the two are not exclusive. My weight gain has been the result of my disorder as I eat to overcome the fear and terror I feel about when I see my own face. I was in denile of my issues for years as many sufferers believe that they don't have the condition they are just ugly and as a result wasn't dianosed until recently. I am very lucky to have both a doctor and counsellor with experience of BDD as it's hard to find help.

My condition will cause me to act in completely irrational ways. It's a compulsive disorder, a form on OCD. I will do many things each say such as looking in reflective surfaces, excessive washing, avoiding dirt, and hiding from people.

The difference between me and someone who just has low self esteem is my concerns about my appearance stop me working. They stop me being able to get a regular job because my complusive habits can be hard to control without CBT. They also stop me leaving the house, traveling on public transport, and going out in sunshine. I have done dangerous things to my own skin in order to look normal despite the risks and pain involved.

It's the same with serial dieters who become obessed and anorexics. A serial dieter may do dangerous things like living on water and even throwing up but in the end if they became ill and a doctor told them to stop, they would do it. An anorexic in the throws of the illness can be in hospital being fed on a tube, too weak to go to the bathroom and still will attempt to lose weight even if it risks life. There is a limit one will hit and the other will cross.

However just because you are not a bag of bones, it's doesn't mean you haven't started going down that road. Image disorders are always best handled the quicker they start to arise. If you have serious concerns about your habits, talk to your doctor. The thing about image disorders is fundamently they are not about vanity, they are about an emotional need for control and self control. Most people who attempt to starve themselves are to a certain degree attempting control over their own lives. In all cases, counselling is always the best road. Whether you are over or underweight, in order to address any issue with food, you have to find out where the issue came from originally.

I think the best option is the BEAT website which will give you loads of advice. Talking to your doctor is the first step to take and ask them to refer you to a counsellor. On the NHS you are entitled to 8 weeks plus any additonal treatment such as CBT if needed. I would say whether you believe you have a problem or not, take this course of action as ether way it will help. Hope this helps X

 

[nabo86]

I think the best option is the BEAT website which will give you loads of advice.

Can I just thank you for writing this so long ago... I joined this forum because I thought it would help but when I looked at this website I realised there are far too many issues in my life to deal with before I get serious about dieting again...

I still want to lose the weight (I'm a bit obsessed with getting my BMI to be exactly 22.5) but I know I need to do it sensibly and I think that the BEAT website is a brilliant place to get support - I've been talking to someone form there today and after one day I already feel so much better as I've never had the courage to talk about this kind of thing before

So yes, thank you - you have hopefully started an important change in my life

 

[johnnyblue]

Speaking as a recovering anorexic (yes, on a weight-loss board) - get help while you can. It's a disease that never fully leaves you.

I've been hospitalised and gone through the mental health services for years, and although I'm in the healthy weight bracket and fairly happy these days, the voice in the back of my head is constant and unrelenting. It's a horrendous disease and I wouldn't wish it on anyone.

Please be good to yourself.

 

[nabo86]

thank you

I know exactly what you mean by the voice in the back of my head - I'm just thankful that my rational voice is louder these days and I have a super husband who supports me

I think I will get some support - I like to think its in my past but I don't feel I can get past it yet until I've had a chance to tell someone...

I lost weight on SW last year and I made sure I was careful and sensible about things - I'm a normal weight now, I'd just prefer if my BMI was right in the middle of 'normal' (whatever that means!)

 

[juicygooseface]

i think that by even coming on here and asking if we think you have a problem you are steps ahead of some people, who will literally keep everything secret until it kills them. good luck with keeping helahty, i know first hand it is hard 2 get rid of those thoughts, and nothing will get rid of them forever, its about controlling them, but nothing worth having comes easy, i wish you all the luck i can xxxxxxxx

 

[dietgirl24]

I have had experience with this too. I lost my periods and this is the first sign of anorexia, or at least, undereating. You need periods for your reproductive system. What happens is that when you're starving yourself, your body stops producing oestrogen because it figures that you can barely keep you alive, let alone a child.

I heard of a woman in her late 30s who got osteoporosis (brittle bones). It's terrible, if you trip or fall, your bones break. There's no cure for osteoporosis and it tends to get worse over time. Usually its people in their old age who have osteoporosis. Women are more prone to osteoporosis though because we generally don't consume enough calcium and vitamin D in our diet.

I hope I'm not scare-mongering but honestly, the future health risks were the only thing that made me stop going on crazy diets. I wouldn't listen to reason or to anyone telling me I was going too far.

After eating some more food, I regained my period. I still have that "voice in my head" but I don't want to go back to where I was so I am managing my weight healthily now.