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Eating Disorders and life with one - Discussions, Opinions, Advice.

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Anyone here suffering from ED and an OCD too? I'd like to know more. :redface: Please?
Does anyone know of the early signs of an eating disorder? I personally don't think I have one and feel stupid for even thinking I do but, I've been getting a lot of comments, digs etc at my weight. I started a log, noting down everything I was eating/drinking to try and get a rough idea on how many calories I was taking daily and I guess I was pretty shocked, never mind the recommended daily intake, I rarely get to 500 a day and I seem to got myself into a routine of eating, or not eating rather unless I do something that allows me to. For example, I hoovered and tidied for an hour and then allowed myself lunch, which usually consists of salad and carbs. Never eat red meat but occasionally treat myself to chicken/pork.

I've been underweight since forever. I'm almost 20, 5ft 2 and weigh 6stone2. I know that whenever I go to the doctors he makes a comment about it but he's never took it further so I guess that's why I've not bothered before about it.

Should probably add I've suffered with chronic depression since around the age of 13, never been on any medication however. And suffer with anaemia, of which recently I've run out of iron tablets for.

Any help/advice would be great. Thanks x
Original post by CollateralElement
Yes! Yes! This is the kind of behaviour I wanna see! You're not ashamed. You're admitting it. You've shown that ED can hit anyone anywhere no matter how old or how "unfitting a template" they are!

...But... On a more serious note, How long have you been battling ED? Are you recovering or in a relapse?

I'm sorry, if I'm digging too deep. You can ignore me if you want. :redface: I'm just being odd.


This is the first big, bad horrid relapse in...2 years. as opposed to a slight wobble.
Toto is recovering, and being pretty badass at the same time, so is Etoile,
Original post by .snowflake.
This is the first big, bad horrid relapse in...2 years. as opposed to a slight wobble.
Toto is recovering, and being pretty badass at the same time, so is Etoile,


Oh Wow. It's like a little family in here... ^_^
Original post by CollateralElement
Oh Wow. It's like a little family in here... ^_^


One very disfunctional fambly, but we love all of them. It's always fun when an ignorant so and so comes in and accuses us of being vain 'Why don't you just eat? etc.
Reply 3665
:hugs:

:frown:
Original post by Cinnie
:hugs:

:frown:

whats up? I don't care if you go and write an essay, means i don't have to do biology revision/email my german teacher
Original post by .snowflake.
One very disfunctional fambly, but we love all of them. It's always fun when an ignorant so and so comes in and accuses us of being vain 'Why don't you just eat? etc.


:rolleyes: I bet it is. But I guess, a few years before, when I was still little and naive, as stupid as it would've been, I would've accused the same way. "Just eat! It isn't all that hard!" ....

This family is better than most, really. :tongue:
Original post by Cinnie
:hugs:

:frown:


Ditto. I'm just concerned. :redface: Speak! Or I'll start using the emoticon chart and bully you with Taliban smileys till you do.
Thanks guys, some affirmation there that I'm not acting like the (apologies if this inadvertently offends anyone) 'spoilt 15 year old girl' my head keeps telling me I'm acting like :rolleyes:

IDK. I think I'll stick around for some more time.
Reply 3670
You're welcome here anytime, Collateral and Anons, we're an open house :smile:

Ugh. Bad semi-OCD thoughts hitting again. Need help convincing my mother, please.

Spoiler


I would've thought they're all solid reasons to let me exercise! Thoughts, and if good, how do I get this across to her?
As has been said by us all before, I am sick and tired of being defined by my illness!

______________
Geeky psychology moment, mods remove this if a problem to post I thought it could help people understand:

Spoiler

Original post by Anonymous
Does anyone know of the early signs of an eating disorder? I personally don't think I have one and feel stupid for even thinking I do but, I've been getting a lot of comments, digs etc at my weight. I started a log, noting down everything I was eating/drinking to try and get a rough idea on how many calories I was taking daily and I guess I was pretty shocked, never mind the recommended daily intake, I rarely get to 500 a day and I seem to got myself into a routine of eating, or not eating rather unless I do something that allows me to. For example, I hoovered and tidied for an hour and then allowed myself lunch, which usually consists of salad and carbs. Never eat red meat but occasionally treat myself to chicken/pork.

I've been underweight since forever. I'm almost 20, 5ft 2 and weigh 6stone2. I know that whenever I go to the doctors he makes a comment about it but he's never took it further so I guess that's why I've not bothered before about it.

Should probably add I've suffered with chronic depression since around the age of 13, never been on any medication however. And suffer with anaemia, of which recently I've run out of iron tablets for.

Any help/advice would be great. Thanks x


Hiya :smile:

You do sound like you have disordered eating. There's the whole 'earning' a meal thing, which is always quite a big sign and also 'treating' yourself to chicken and pork, when actually you need lean protein. Less than 500 calories is extremely dangerous. If you can remember, what were your eating habits like before you got depression? And did they change after? Depression can cause an ED; it caused mine. x
Original post by Riku
x


That was really interesting! My dad was definitely a rhino and my mumma was a kangaroo but not as suffocating. Once I wanted to recover she really did let me go and help me by giving me independence, although she was always apprehensive at first.

In regards to the exercising and your mumma, I don't think she'll think you're over-exercising, especially if the people at your gym can back you up on this. At the end of the day, they wouldn't let you because if you did and something happened on the premises, they would be liable, so it's in their best interest to be honest about your exercise regime. I think it's a common worry for mums. I've been recovered for 2 years now and whenever I say 'I'm going to the gym', my mum still freaks out! I think it's just natural for mothers. After all, they don't want us doing any more damage to ourselves or relapsing or something. Just reassure her if anything comes up/if she talks to you about it. x
Original post by Riku
You're welcome here anytime, Collateral and Anons, we're an open house :smile:

Ugh. Bad semi-OCD thoughts hitting again. Need help convincing my mother, please.

Spoiler


I would've thought they're all solid reasons to let me exercise! Thoughts, and if good, how do I get this across to her?
As has been said by us all before, I am sick and tired of being defined by my illness!

______________
Geeky psychology moment, mods remove this if a problem to post I thought it could help people understand:

Spoiler



I think all mums are kangaroos at heart!

With regards to the spoiler - be open and honest with her and promise that you'll tell her when you're exercising and listen if she thinks it's too much and tells you so?
Does anyone know if this kind of behavior is normal? I'm recovering from Anorexia and things were going really well and I'm only 6kg away from a 'healthy' weight but recently (past few weeks really) my eating has been really bizarre. I mean, yesterday I ate no more than 1300 calories but the day before ate a normal 2000 calorie diet but today I was ok until tea when I just couldn't stop eating! I literally lost count of how much I ate! But it was definitely more than 3000 calories :frown: These unstoppable binges keep happening and I always feel awful afterwards but I feel like I can't control myself! Then I try and compensate for all the crazy, unhealthy eating the day later and end up UNDEREATING. This can't be good for me :frown: is there any way to just stick to the normal 2000 calories?
Original post by jazzykinks
Hiya :smile:

You do sound like you have disordered eating. There's the whole 'earning' a meal thing, which is always quite a big sign and also 'treating' yourself to chicken and pork, when actually you need lean protein. Less than 500 calories is extremely dangerous. If you can remember, what were your eating habits like before you got depression? And did they change after? Depression can cause an ED; it caused mine. x


Thanks for replying. :smile:
I'm not sure, I just thought I was being strict with what I was eating. I'm scared to death of putting weight on and the thing is I know I NEED to. It sucks. I hate showing my stomach or legs because to me they are big but I know they're not... It's really confusing and hard to explain. Everyone says seeing ribs is unattractive and I agree it is... But for some reason I'm not happy with my weight unless I can see my ribs.

My eating has actually improved since moving away from my parents, because I monitor it. At the beginning of my depression I'd eat a sandwich a day and then have a binge eating day at the end of the week, but because I was so depressed for prolonged periods of times I was hardly ever hungry away.

I honestly think I'm making something out of nothing here, I know it all seems bad written down and actually makes me feel a bit ill reading it back, but I don't know.

:frown: Ugh. Anyway, thanks again x
Original post by Riku
You're welcome here anytime, Collateral and Anons, we're an open house :smile:

Ugh. Bad semi-OCD thoughts hitting again. Need help convincing my mother, please.

Spoiler


I would've thought they're all solid reasons to let me exercise! Thoughts, and if good, how do I get this across to her?
As has been said by us all before, I am sick and tired of being defined by my illness!

______________
Geeky psychology moment, mods remove this if a problem to post I thought it could help people understand:

Spoiler




Don't. It sounds like your mum's a little tired of hearing things from you or having to deduce you. "Been there, seen that" mind and though she's a kangaroo at heart, they often believe they're the ones who know the very best and since they'd seen you grow up, they think they know the very words that float through you mind every single moment of the day.

So, don't take it badly, though. This may be the defensive personality bit that's popped up from the sense of trust that she feels has been violated (between you two).

Write her a letter. Be calm. Reasonable. Collected. Don't grab the first bright red marker and scrawl huge "I'M NOT OCD ED ANYMORE MOM!" across the page - that was the first thing I thought of anyway.

Just write to her like you're living in spain, on a beach somewhere near a few good looking surfers frolicking across the waters and whipping their long bleach blonde curls around.

Speak to her like you're her friend and a daughter. That you understand the consequences of the ED in you. That you're so close to annihilating it out of your system... but you need her to hold your hand for now. You need her to stop talking to others, to stop listening to others but just listen to you - her daughter - just this once.

Tell her she's a kangaroo. But you love her the most. Tell her why you love her. Tell her all the things that she's done for you to help you and thank her.
...

Just open out your heart and tell her everything and don't end with something blunt.

Be yourself :smile: You're smart. You'll think of something.

I hope this helps? :crossedf:
(edited 11 years ago)
Reply 3677
Trying to be strong for my family, but at this point in my recovery I am slowly getting sapped of my strength because I have no support systems in place (my fault) and don't feel like i'm able to have a bad day. So it's fake, and feels too extreme. I know i'm doing really really well, but it would be nice for someone to acknowledge it once in a while. Maybe it's attention seeking, maybe I just want my mum to hug me when i'm struggling and give me some advice.

Everyone in my family is going through complete turmoil, every single one is battling something MASSIVE, whether it be cancer, depression, being on the edge of a breakdown. She has told me that this is the first time in her life where if one more thing goes wrong, she doesn't know what she will do.

I'm using all my strength to battle all these things that tell me to go back to restriction and need more strength to help my family too.
Original post by Cinnie
Trying to be strong for my family, but at this point in my recovery I am slowly getting sapped of my strength because I have no support systems in place (my fault) and don't feel like i'm able to have a bad day. So it's fake, and feels too extreme. I know i'm doing really really well, but it would be nice for someone to acknowledge it once in a while. Maybe it's attention seeking, maybe I just want my mum to hug me when i'm struggling and give me some advice.

Everyone in my family is going through complete turmoil, every single one is battling something MASSIVE, whether it be cancer, depression, being on the edge of a breakdown. She has told me that this is the first time in her life where if one more thing goes wrong, she doesn't know what she will do.

I'm using all my strength to battle all these things that tell me to go back to restriction and need more strength to help my family too.


Aww sounds like you're having such a hard time :frown:
Keep your friends close and try to look after yourself, I know it must be so hard at the moment though. Well done on doing well so far, you must be such a strong person to still be doing well despite all that's going on around you.
Keep going, you can do this, you really can.
Original post by Anonymous
Thanks for replying. :smile:
I'm not sure, I just thought I was being strict with what I was eating. I'm scared to death of putting weight on and the thing is I know I NEED to. It sucks. I hate showing my stomach or legs because to me they are big but I know they're not... It's really confusing and hard to explain. Everyone says seeing ribs is unattractive and I agree it is... But for some reason I'm not happy with my weight unless I can see my ribs.

My eating has actually improved since moving away from my parents, because I monitor it. At the beginning of my depression I'd eat a sandwich a day and then have a binge eating day at the end of the week, but because I was so depressed for prolonged periods of times I was hardly ever hungry away.

I honestly think I'm making something out of nothing here, I know it all seems bad written down and actually makes me feel a bit ill reading it back, but I don't know.

:frown: Ugh. Anyway, thanks again x


Okay, these are definite signs. You know that what you're thinking is wrong but you can't help but feel fat or see fat when actually you're underweight. Seeing one's ribs is not healthy! I don't think your eating has improved; both of your accounts seem to be quite worrying and you seem to use food as a coping mechanism, which is understandable. I really think you have a problem, but I can't diagnose. If you're worried, tell someone who can help you, like a doctor or even a friend. What you've written is quite worrying. x

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