funny (!) anorexia story- hear me out people!
ok i have a little slightly amusing (if you share my sense of humor) anecdote to relate.
a little update on myself- i've recently been diagnosed with anorexia of the bing-purge type. this by a specialist at my city's main eating disorder clinic. she's a certified psychiatrist and although my weight still places me in the "healthy" range (i have a bmi of 19.5), she says my recent weight loss and other symptoms are serious enough to overrule that.
before seeing her, my bf coerced me in seeing a doctor at the nearest clinic. this chick was the one who diagnosed me originally (ednos). anywhoo- the highlight of the whole ordeal was this.
dr: so... you have an eating disorder.
me: ok... what can i do about it?
dr: well. actually, you're just a couple kilos over the danger zone. so unless you lose more weight i can't really refer you anywhere for treatment as your life isn't in immediate danger.
me: oh. ok. well... what do i do then?
dr: umm.. well. if you want a refferal you could lose two kilos.
... right. :P
ok believe it or not I had something similar. 3 YEARS before I almost died I went for help with my eating disorder. Because I had a good bmi no help, even when I exhibitied classic anorexia (minus the weight). I had to go into a diabetic coma and have a heeart attack before I could get help! come on.
candy -- PLEASE get and KEEP the help!!!!! You really do not want to be where I have been .. it is a deep dark hole that is takes a lot of work to crawl your way out of.
need to talk... i am here.
I can totally relate. For a long time I didn't believe I had an Eating Disorder at all, even though my relationship with food was -and I admit, still is- very skewed. I exhibited all the symptoms for Bulimia and anorexia, except for two things.
1. I am not underweight (And I doubt I ever will be)
2. I still got my periods.
When I went to my GP to see if I had an eating disorder, she said I 'was too heavy to be Annorexic' and that 'I could afford to loose a couple of pounds. Needless to say it only drove me crazy.
I still am not under weight, but her words still effect me greatly. I have only seen a psychiatrist once (only due to lack of funding) and am still battling in order to get my calories up to 1,200 a day. Keep looking for health, and if money allows, find yourself a different doctor.
Other than that, I have to admit there is some humour in your story... in a sick... sick way. I hope you get better!! :) :) :)
When I was being diagnosed I would only eat 3 bowls of ceral a day, 2 yogurts, and a serving of carrots. I lost about 90lbs in like 6 months and my doctor, who was overweight, said he wished he had the same will power as I did. Not very helpful. It made me feel like I was doing "good", but I know that isn't the case.
I'm glad all of you can see the humor even though it is extremely sad and disheartening. Please hang onto your sense of humor and continue to seek help.
Calorie-count is all about healthy and sustainable weight management, and we want to have a community where people feel welcome to post and to talk about the issues involved with eating and exercising appropriately ~ to share strategies, encouragement and support ~ within the philosophy of this website and the posting guidelines.
This is a great site to discuss effective ways to lose weight ~ that will nourish your body and keep you healthy :)
Although we are not a substitue for a medical professional, in the absence of available help in your real life we do have a lot of good information and resources and very supportive members. I sincerely hope that you will get some of the support that you need from Calorie-count.
http://www.kidsnutrition.org/bodycomp/bmiz2.h tml
More Good Information on Calorie Guidelines, Health, Exercise and Nutrition for Teenagers.
Nutrition, Exercise & Weight Management for Teens
Here's a place with information on nutrition and health issues for Teenagers.
Nutrition & Health for Teens
Dieting & Metabolism
This is what happens when you undereat for an extended period of time, so please keep struggling to get help.
The Body Neglected
And here is where you, and your parents, can find information about dealing with eating disorders should you have any concerns or questions.
Do I Have An Eating Disorder? can help you determine if you have an eating disorder.
You need to EAT in order to lose weight in a healthful manner, with a REASONABLE deficit of 500 to 1,000 calories and not more.
I encourage you to check out the information in the library from our Eating Disorder Guide, Matthew Tiemeyer.
Suggestions on who to tell when you need help:
Your parents. I know this can be a scary one, we all have a load of feelings tied to our parents, but most of them truly want the best for their children.
A school counselor. This is part of what their job is all about, trying to help students. They have an enormous amount of information and resources to help you get more help.
A clergymember. Letting them help you is part of the reason why they signed up. At the least you get another ear to help talk to you.
An adult friend. Someone whom you can trust and who will be likely to help you do some research on where to go and even make sure you don't chicken out.
Mental Health America: 1-800-969-6642
It does not matter what weight you are or height you can have an eating disorder no matter what the symptoms are...you don't have to meet a certain bmi for an eating disorder...you labs could be abnormal, become malnursihed, low potassium and irregular heart rhythem. Obviously she does not know much about eating disorders and the complications on what they can do to your body in the long run...please take care of yourself before it's too late! Go to someone else who has a better understanding of eating disorders...educate yourself all you can so you are fully aware of the danger signs
Wow. Okay, I admit it, I giggled. Because I also have a really sick sense of humor. But honestly, that's awful. I never sought help for my ED, and am still considering doing so, since I'm THIS close to recovery, and may need the extra push to go all the way or at least stop relapsing. . . but the funny part? I went to the doctor several times when I was near my lowest weight: obviously underweight, having lost almost 50 lbs. that I didn't need to lose in the first place, and they didn't even NOTICE. I went to the doctor after having passed out because (I suspect) I threw my electrolytes seriously out of balance by purging and then exercising, and they told me it was dehydration. Well no sh** sherlock, but from WHAT? Ugh. It frustrates me how ignorant they can be sometimes. Take heart sweetie, there IS help out there. You just may have to look around a bit to get it.
Keeping with the light-heartedness of this post, I chuckled a little at your doctor's "solution". I too, have been diagnosed with anorexia but it wasn't until after I went to see a specialist (which, was done 100% by free will) did my problem become an issue to my doctor.
My story: I have a bmi of less than 16. However from a medical stand point, other than my weight being low I am in extremely good health. The last time I went to the doctor she asked how recovery was going (I've been trying for almost a year) and I explained to her that while I no longer see myself as fat, unattractive, I am more comfortable in my own skin, and I don't have that overwhelming fear of food, I still have disordered thoughts that I sometimes act on as well as a fear of gaining (ie. I don't mind where I am at, but it is still not a "healthy" weight). Her response was "Well, you really don't HAVE to gain weight because other than that, you are incredibly healthy. Just keep doing what your doing because it is somehow right for you."
Now, I don't really know about anyone else but I'm pretty sure having an eating disorder isn't right for anyone, including myself! I know she meant well, but those of you who have an ED know the impact of such comments and I'm surprised some doctors aren't more sensitive to those types of things.
But anyhow, I really hope you stick with the recovery process if that is the path you are going on. While the progress may take a while, I can say from experience that it is completely worth it. I agree with arh as well, that the longer you hold off on trying to get better, the deeper the hole becomes and the harder it is to get help. I've been dealing with this for 6 years now (almost a year trying to recover) and I know that I still have years ahead of me with trying to pull myself back together. Good luck to you and I wish you well!
I confess, I chuckled too. My GP manages to make me laugh sometimes, though that's more in a good-natured kind of way - for example, after I told her that my parents (initially) were trying to get me to gain in all the wrong ways (lots of junk food and chocolate, and so on) and her reply was: "No... that's more of a one way ticket to diabetes-ville". >>; She also called my ex a wanker after he dumped me early on in my recovery. Heh.
Still, I agree with everyone else - if your doctor isn't taking your ED seriously, try speaking to another. I wish you all the luck in the world with your recovery, and don't forget to post here if you need support. :]
thanks for your input everyone!
like i said in the original post- the ignorant dr is the one at my local clinic, the one i went to see first. i'm now seeing a psychiatrist at the ed clinic in my city's hospital and she's very good- u can see right away she knows her stuff. unfortunately she's gone this week and my next appointment with her is next tuesday.
the horrible trigger here is this: the crazy part of my brain is now trying to make me lose the stupid weight so i fit in their stupid criteria. i know everybody's different and it's just a number on a scale: my parents, my boyfriend and my friends all tell me i now look disgusting (my boyfriend's exact words at seeing a picture of my back - we're long distance so he hasnt seen me in a month- were "ewww... u look like a lizard.")
but the ed voice is still there saying that if i already lost 40lbs, going down from 120 to 100 shouldn't be this hard. :(
Oh, hun. ]: I'm sorry.
Appearances... I got the shock of my life when I saw past my ED for the first time while trying on dresses for a ball. All I could see was wax on bones - 106 at 6'1 is not a pretty sight to behold. My ex-boyfriend would comment on my appearance a lot, too, and it really hurt but I didn't have the guts to tell him to stop, even though I agreed with a lot of it. :\
I was just today reading a little sheet in my therapist's waiting room about common misconceptions about anorexia, and right at the top was "But I'm a normal weight/overweight, I can't be anorexic!" when the truth is that your weight isn't what classifies you, but rather your mindset and mentality. Don't let that voice get to you!
I found this very amusing as well :S In an awful sort of way. I never saw why what weight one is at now matters, just how much one has lost with anorexia. Luckily I wasn't put in the atrocious situation you're in now, I was close enough to death, apparently, for them to believe/help me :/ Losing 40 lbs should obviously tell anyone that this is not just a passing phase. Don't give in and lose more weight. I know this is a terrible place to be, but try to at least keep your weight where it is now, and see if you can find a better doctor/therapist/encouraging family member at least. Best of luck.
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New journal post Sunday by clairelaine 10:50 |