>>> Anorexic-turned-binger/overeater. Consider RECOVERED from anorexia?

I was first an anorexic, but have changed into an overeater, EDNOS victim, purger, and more.

Would this mean that I have "recovered" from anorexia? I no longer starve myself.

This is just a random question of mine that had just crossed my mind

I wouldn't consider you recovered if you're struggling with other elements of eating disorders.

Have you talked to a doctor about all this?

I think you may be recovered from anorexia but the ednos is still in your head.

But I'm not 100%.

I hope your ok

lalabanana

- You wouldn't consider me recovered from anorexia, since I am suffering from other EDs?? Hmmm.... I'm still confused haha!! Because I no longer suffer from anorexia, so I must be "done" with it.... but then again..... i am still not in a good relationship with food.

ashalee_88

- oh definitely. and it bugs the **** outta me.!!!!!!!!! arghhhh

Whether you're not eating, over-exercising, bingeing, purging, abusing laxatives or whatever... if the motivation is essentially coming from the same then it's basically a different manifestation of the same problem.  Anorexia is often the symptom of the problem, not the problem in isolation.  Like having flu....  you can take a pill for the headache and a syrup for the cough but, until the virus is tackled, you've still got flu. 

Doesn't mean you're locked into the same behaviour pattern for ever, of course.  You've already stopped starving yourself so you're clearly strong enough to change for the better if you want to.   Seize the moment... good luck

It's a common misconception to identify eating disorders separately, a la "I was an anorexic, but now I'm a bulimic." The reality, however, is that all the different manifestations of disordered eating form a continuum in which people can swing from one kind to another. This is why anorexics sometimes turn into overeaters, others both purge and starve, etc.

What does it mean for you to be able to say "I recovered from anorexia" when you still have other disordered eating patterns? In my case, "recovery" means more than just "I stopped starving myself." I've accepted the fact that I'll never be completely "normal" about food; food and my body will always be a sensitive subject for me. But for me, recovery means not being scared of food anymore, not letting food control my life and dominate my thoughts, and most importantly, being kind to my body and doing what's best for it.

I'm not quite there yet, but I'm trying hard every day. I wish the best of luck to you, too :)

stupid DSM and it's stupid labels.

if you follow DSM definitions, people are either sick or well (or not sick enough).  in reality, we all know it's not like that.  sooji, it's great that you're not starving yourself anymore, but you can do a lot of damage with purging.  you know you're not well; does it really matter what diagnosis you stick on it?

i don't think you are over it. I know Im not Like someone said..over eating..no enough eating..its still all in the same category :(

I'm writing my dissertation on recovery from anorexia nervosa, and one of the main things I've come across in the literature is the difficulty of defining recovery. In general, however, all descriptions of recovered anorexics will specify a time period (usually a year) in which no disordered eating behaviour occurs - and that include over exercising, restricting, bingeing etc.

The other thing is that researchers use a lot of terms not specified in the DSM-IV: restricting-type anorexia nervose, binge-purge anorexia nervosa, AN+BN combined etc. As has been said, the eating disorders are not distinct. They might demonstrate themselves in different ways, but which one a person shows is partly down to personality. The underlying cognitive problems (the thoughts that lead to the disorder) are usually quite similar, at least on the most basic level.

I'm lucky myself - I suffer from EDNOS, but caught myself in time to not develop clinical AN. But I know how hard it is to get better. Good luck, and keep trying hard!

You've recovered from anorexia, but not from having an eating disorder. You just moved on to another one. You still have to watch out for the other one to reoccur though.

I've been them all. I was anorexic, then I became bulimic (mostly laxitive abuse and over exercising I wasn't much to purge.) then anorexic again, then I developed binge eating disorder (where I ate and ate and ate to the point I did nothing else and would be hurting at first, but then got so used to all of the mass amount of food that it no longer hurt and I was just depressed and bloated which lead to more eating, but I NEVER would purge. I tried, but never did it.) The BED went on for about 3 months I gained 50 pounds.....

The old anorexic side of me hated my body and hated me I was close to the point of suicide. Then I tried to get myself together, but I still binged on and off. I occasionally still hold anorexic/ED traits as well, but I've come to realize that I will never have a *normal* relationship with food either. I wish I could, but after so many devastating moments with each of these disorders and just so long doing certain things with them as long as fighting my emotions, I've accepted it. I've accepted me. I just try to work on each day at a time and most of all to keep myself going in this life and to be healthy. No one is going to do it for you so you have to do it for yourself.

I would highly suggest that you go to therapy if you are not already I believe it can help somewhat to vent everything out that you need to. Good luck. :)

I would say even if anyone could ever say they were "recovered" from Anorexia, you always have to be aware that I could change or come back at any time since EDs are only classifed by their manifistations and not as seperate diseases. My initial bought with anorexia was 5 years ago , but every time i start losing weight again, my old mentality kicks in, so i keep logs,food exercise and progress to make it easier for my doc and my husband to keep me honest.  it sounds like you still may have an unhealthy relationship with food, so i think professional help is a good idea.

I have been an off-and-on anorexic and ED-NOS for over 11 years.  What I have learned is that I need to treat the anorexia as I would any other addiction -- no one ever says that they are a "recovered alcoholic," similarly, I always say that I'm a "recoverING anorexic."  I have gone through stretches over a year where I didn't do any disordered eating behaviors, but then I get stressed and fast.  I will never trust myself to be recovered, but I'm still proud of myself for the work I have done recovering.  Does that help?

This is an interesting topic - I think that you can HAVE anorexia, and then start to recover to a point where you do NOT have anorexia - but I am not sure if you can ever 100% recover from it, in the sense that after being so preoccupied with food, some times for a long period of time, it is unlikely you will be able to go back to thinking about food the way you did BEFORE the disorder; the way people who have NOT had an eating disorder think.

You sound like you are NOT anorexic any more which is GREAT - well done! Unfortunately many people continue to let their “ disorder” manifest in other ways like Bing eating, so while they are not anorexic, they still have an “ eating disorder”.

I WAS anorexic, but that was years ago and I definitely do NOT have anorexia now but I have had to deal with other issues with food.

I became a personal trainer after my anorexia and plan to study nutrition or get a degree where I am in a position to help others with eating issues, so I turned the fact that I still thought about food a lot into a positive thing - I enjoyed food and looked forward to my meals more then most people and my knowledge for nutrition was insatiable, but all for healthy reasons, I wanted to learn more about food because I really appreciated how much it can help your body

So thinking about food a lot does not mean you have to let it dictate your life in a negative way, where you avoid social situations and let food determine how you feel ALL the time

You have gained the weight and have stopped starving yourself so you have already demonstrated that you have enough strength in you to face your new challenges.

gi-jane

- Thank you so much for your encouragements!!! And I can totally understand your "flu example" that you mentioned there. Though I am currently obsessed with food most of the time, I won't say it would be impossible for me to become anorexic again. So I guess it wouldn't be right for me to say that I've recovered, but I should say .... what?!?!?!

petitoiseau

- First of all, love your nickname!! (French is a part of my life!) && second of all, I wish you the best in maintaining a healthy relationship with food!! But for me, I won't accept the fact that I will never be normal with food. I know that through faith, nothing is impossible, but right now, I'm not there yet. Not ready, I suppose?? But I do wish you the best!!!!!! *fingers crossed*♥

pgeorgian

- What is "DSM"???? Oh, and nope... I don't purge anymore!!! Except for the little slip-up I had several days ago, I haven't purged for.... a bit over a month now. && I am so darn proud of myself!!!!

jessica1203

- Oh yes, yes, I know that starving and over-eating are both eating disorders, but I was specifically talking about anorexia. Ahhh.... I know.... it's kind of confusing to describe!!

afoneleri

- "In general, however, all descriptions of recovered anorexics will specify a time period (usually a year) in which no disordered eating behaviour occurs - and that include over exercising, restricting, bingeing etc." really??? where did you get this from??

Ahhhhhh!!! Okay I definitely understand what you're saying!!!! This entire journey of me having EDs...... could just be a mixture of many EDs, thus producing a whole new ED of itself!! A very detailed type of ED that has not been specificized before. WOW THANK YOU!! A GINORMOUS LIGHT BULB HAS BEEN TURNED ON IN MY HEAD!!!!!

silentdeadlyrose

- Ughhh... I never believed that it was possible/reasonable for an anorexic to turn completely around and become a binger/overeater. But now..... *sigh* ... I'm the proof!! I'd love to go to therapy. Really. But.... when you're saying therapy.. are you talking about like rehab centres?? I'm going to start college soon, so I wouldn't have time if you are thinking about me being in a centre - living there....??

ellis_stephenie

- OH YES. Definitely. I still have a pretty unhealthy relationship with food. I'm not afraid to eat most types of food. The biggest problem is: whether it's actually going down my throat or not.

settingshadow

- Ummm... I'm a "tad bit" confused, but I get the overall meaning You believe that nobody can be fully recovered and that it's an on-going battle, forever??

personaltrainer87

- Really? You really think there is no "long-lasting recovery"?? I beg to differ I honestly believe there is a point where you can totally overcome it. But I think it could be impossible to make that work on your own. This connects to my relationship with God, but if you're not too big on that, then it could be hard to understand? lol. But!! I can understand what you're saying. && I can say that I agree with you somewhat too. I believe that when I do recover, I will still have ED-related thoughts every now and then. But the difference is: I will not give in to those ED thoughts, because I am stronger now

I definitely think there is such thing as long term recovery, and that you are heading in the right direction!

I don’t believe that once you have an eating disorder, you will always have it so some extent - my point is that it will always be IN you but you can FIGHT those thoughts like you said; so the disorder is part of who you are, just like any other life experience, BUT the fact the eating disorder is a part of you does not mean that you still “ have it”

I define recovery as being able to lead a functional, productive life where food or body weight does not prevent you from doing anything that it shouldn’t - you can have ED related thoughts but recovery is when you do not let those thoughts dictate your life.

I do think that people with a history of ED have a higher chance of developing one again after they recover then a person who has never had an ED - I think there would be research out there that would confirm this.

I look at the ED as something that has added to my character and something has enabled me to be there to support people.

I also don’t think some one is crazy when they stand in a shop looking at food for hours and change their mind a million times about what they buy to eat….

I understand disordered eating can make you act irrational and I am now in a position where I can make other people who have not had disordered eating more understanding of people who have eating disorders by explaining to them that the eating disorder can make people do strange things

I feel very positive about my past ED’S because I have the opportunity to make others feel better which not only helps them, but also makes me feel good and helps build my confidence and self esteem.

From someone who no longer has anorexic behaviors for over 2 years, I still consider myself a recovering anorexic.  I had spent 15 years "jumping" from one ED to another, whether its EDNOS, bulimia, overeating, etc...  After being symptom free for 2 years, I am still recovering.

The thing about EDs is that once you think "hey i'm done!  i'm over it!" it sneaks back up on you once your life hits a little turbulence.  We've just been pre-disposed to certain genes, and once you have an ED, you are always at a risk for relapse.  We turn to food (or the lackthereof) to deal with our emotions to outside circumstances.  If you ever have thoughts, desires, etc... it just shows you're still recovering.

My advice is to not let your guard down and always consider yourself recovering.  As easily as you have crossed-over to EDNOS, purger, etc..., going back to anorexia is just the same.

We are always at risk for re laps but we are always at risk of dying from a million different things too, in fact it is more likely that one of the hundreds of millions of other problems in the world will affect us BEFORE we relapse so relapse is no some looming weight that we should obsess about; it is just good to be aware of our past tendency to develop disordered eating and to actively avoid falling back into old patterns.

Plenty of people are pre disposed to disease and it is not worth living your life in any unnecessary fear, it is just good to be aware of the risk.

Not every one who has had anorexia will “ always be in recovery”.

Simply “ remembering” the thoughts you had in the past does not mean you have not recovered, and that you still have an eating disorder - the fact is, once your life is dominated so much by food, you cannot just erase your memory , so simply HAVING a memory, and acknowledging what happened and simply REMENBERING some of the old thoughts you had does not mean you have to let any of those thoughts affect your life.

I HAD anorexia a few years ago and I am not still “ recovering” from it but I did have a binge problem since for a short period of time which I have currently stopped but still consider myself “ recovering from” but I am NOT a “ recovering anorexic” ; I am “ recovering from binge eating”

And I do not believe that I will always be recovering from an eating disorder either, after more time away from the time when I binged I WILL have recovered; if I not eaten or binged in a disordered way 10 years from now then I would have recovered

I will not accept that I will “ be in recovery” my whole life, I am 22 for crying out loud and my past eating disorders don’t mean I will always have one into my 40’s!

personaltrainer87

- thank you so much for the elaboration. I can understand and relate to what you're talking about so much more!! It's quite sad.... that those who have suffered from ED(s) will never be completely normal again. Perhaps I'm also acknowledging the fact??? But you're right. Those who are recovered will know and will fight the ED-related thought inside one's head. It's sad that we will never be able to fully be normal in our minds, but one great benefit we get from experiencing EDs is that we can help others who are in our situations I'm thankful for that!!

tennislove98

- First of all, congratulations for successfully fighting your ED for 2 years now!! Make it last, love && thank you for the warning/advice. I'll definitely keep my guard up.

personaltrainer87

- "it is more likely that one of the hundreds of millions of other problems in the world will affect us BEFORE we relapse so relapse is no some looming weight that we should obsess about" HAHAHAHAHA!!!!! That was really encouraging, believe it or not Okay, but the rest of your reply........ I'm getting confused with what others wrote. I can understand that you're trying to say that just remembering or acknowledging the memories that had happened to you before when you were "sick" does not indicate that you have not recovered. But most of the time, "recovered anorexics" (my word && my def.) will have clashing thoughts in their heads every now and then. But if they can constantly overcome the temptation/thought, then they are recovered. ......... okay now im getting confused. what the **** gah! That sounds like a "recovering ED-er" to me as well - after reading what you wrote

who knew this thread question would've been this hard to answer!!

It does not have to be a sad thing - that our minds are permanently going to remember the old ED thoughts. As long as we do not let the old thoughts rule our lives in any negative way, then there is nothing “ sad” about our ability to remember the things that have happened to us!

I view my experience, that just happened to be an eating disorder, as an event that I have accepted that I will always remember, but one that I can also use in a positive way and one that even lead me choosing my career path!

In my case, if it were not for my anorexia and ED’S, I would never have appreciated the benefits that good nutrition through food can give you and I would never have felt compelled to educate others about how they too can know the benefits I discovered.

personaltrainer87

Definitely can understand what you're saying!!! Those who have suffered from ED(s) have a valuable experience that others who haven't can't fathom!

What I mean to say is that anorexics or people with ED’S have certain thoughts in their head, some times for a long period of time.

Once some one decides to “ recover” obviously they cannot just make the thoughts go away for ever - recovering is making the decision to not listen to those thoughts and to fight the urge to fulfill their ED’S desires ( like to starve, binge, purge, etc)

Now, if you have had an ED for a long time then you have had to deal with those particular thoughts for a long time; what I am saying is it is not possible to erase the thoughts from your memory, so people will always remember those ED thoughts OR they will have to fight the occasional ED related urge, such as to restrict or etc

The old urges of your eating disorder will still pop up especially if you suffered an ED for a long time BUT if you can learn to fight the urges successfully for a long enough period of time then you can consider yourself recovered.

I do not care what experts say on this matter, if I go 10 years with out ever starving myself or binging or doing ANYTHING ED related, then I will NOT consider myself to be a “ recovering anorexic for ever” it is ridiculous to say that you will “ always be in recovery for the rest of your life”

So, having an ED means you have certain urges to starve and etc, and if the urges have been a prominent feature in your life for many years then of course they will not just dissipate, but you do not have to act on the urges

Having been through an ed or ANY trauma means you will remember certain things but it does not mean the trauma has to affect what you DO in your life.

From my experience, I never feel the urge to be extremely skinny and I don’t have any strong anorexic thoughts and I don’t have urges to binge eat any more so I don’t really battle or think about it daily, it is just part of my past that I remember

I did develop an obsession though, I wanted to have the best hair/skin /nails and to feel my best and I believed in a few things that were best for me and I tried to follow what I thought was best for me TOO strictly but I have learnt to relax and I am confident that I do not necessarily have to engage in any disordered eating habits again.

When old thoughts from my past disordered eating pop into my head I can make the choice to NOT eat in a disordered way; I may be able to hear the thoughts occasionally but I will not DO what they tell me to do!