I have reached a whole new realization of what it means to have an eating disorder.

So, I'm doing my psych rotation right now, specifically with adolescents. We have a hall devoted to the care and treatment of inpatients with eating disorders and so I've had the chance of working with a few of them. Through this process, I have gained a new understanding of what an ED really does to a person. I always thought I knew a good amount about EDs because of all of the conversations on this site, but seeing the inward struggles of my patients has given me a new appreciation of just how deep these things can run. Sometimes it seems like treating someone with a psychotic disorder is easier: you give them pills and it treats their symptoms. The level of work that goes into therapy for these kids is pretty intense.

So... um... that's nice?

Not sure exactly what response you were looking for with this.

Eating disorders run deep, yes.    Unlike many psychotic disorders they're often learned behaviour patterns (more akin to addiction than pure psychosis) and so 'recovery' is almost entirely in the hands of the sufferer.  Therapy is of limited effect when faced with a sufferer that doesn't want to get better, for example, or who is determined to pull every deceitful stunt in the book to remain sick and pull the wool over the therapist's eyes.  All I would say to you is to understand but don't condone.   Appreciate but don't facilitate.    

im an intern at the mo. im also a recovered anorexic. iv ben an inpatient in a psych hosp. both in the eating disorders and in the locked ward - where the sickest patients were. im not saying that to make myself seem "ooh i was really sick", im saying it to make it clear i saw very mentally ill people. the good thing about psychosis is that it is almost entirely down to neurotransmitter imbalance. fix the dopamine levels, the psychosis lifts. when these ppl are psychotic, they are absolutely non-sensical crazy crazy. they have no idea what they did while they were psychotic and when they come out of it they are very normal intellectual people.

eating disorders are scary tho. there is no psychosis but the behaviour is absolutely crazy. there is no out tho. there is no relief, there often is no return to the personality before the disorder. there is often no reasoning with their (our) illogical thought patterns.

a buddy of mine who i was in hospital with said our registrar used say it was the only disease where the sufferer deliberately goes against the the work of those trying to help them. they (we) are a deceitful bunch. even people who i thought were my closest friends in there were telling me lies. encouraging me to eat and gain weight while hiding everything and clinically and carefully disposing food themselves.

while people are suffering with eating disorders, they are not nice people. they are not good friends, or children or parents or patients.

I think people with ED's are often misunderstood, I'm glad you have a better understanding of their disease.

I think it's great that you're developing a deeper understanding. So many people only learn the basics of their education and aren't able to see beyond the book learning. I think you're going to be a great doctor. What are you going to specialize in?

Original Post by merylwhite1:

So... um... that's nice?

Not sure exactly what response you were looking for with this.

I understand exactly where he's coming from. For the longest time, I thought people who developed eating disorders were selfish and silly. To me, I just wanted to say to them "EAT A COOKIE YOU NEED TO GAIN WEIGHT." It seemed that simple to me. 

But after doing some research and even experiencing some food issues myself, I finally have begun to understand eating disorders better. EDs are different from other mental illness because to the naked eye, they appear to be completely physical. At least that's how I viewed it. But simwaves is right - EDs do run very deep. It's just tough for the average person to understand that an ED is a mental illness, and that the physical effects are only byproducts of the mental illness. 

Original Post by moonikins:

I think it's great that you're developing a deeper understanding. So many people only learn the basics of their education and aren't able to see beyond the book learning. I think you're going to be a great doctor. What are you going to specialize in?

Thanks for the complement. I think I've decided that, whatever I do, I want to work with adolescents. That might mean adolescent medicine, or peds, or peds-surg, or adolescent psych. At this point a lot of it is still up in the air.

adolescent psych is so much lovelier than adult psych. i remember it was more what i thought psychiatry was about. my psychiatrist would actually work with me for an hour. therapeutically verbally, we would work through stuff. adult psych is a joke. its nothing but a meds fest.

i mean that as both a patient and a doctor. there is much research done on the part of the psychiatrist. they are certainly experts in their field. but i seems that it is entirely dictated by medication. only recently am i seeing a newer trend more in favour of psychology and cognative behavioural therapies. the older bunch really need to move on now

"while people are suffering with eating disorders, they are not nice people. they are not good friends, or children or parents or patients."

fidget84-With all due respect, it is ridiculous to make a generalized statement like that. While I was in recovery, I met some of the most beautiful people I've ever met. And if I saw you stuck in a snowbank, I'd be the first to rush over and help you. I've volunteered most of my life to help adolescents overcome their addictions. I know, I've been there too.

Just like the alcoholic, the addicted individual must WANT to get sober or stop their addiction (to food). Otherwise, in both cases, the lack of desire will destroy any attempts to get sober or  ED-free for life.

All in all success can be achieved. I'm an example of success and I have been for over 5 years...

Original Post by mypuppymylife:

"while people are suffering with eating disorders, they are not nice people. they are not good friends, or children or parents or patients."

fidget84-With all due respect, it is ridiculous to make a generalized statement like that. While I was in recovery, I met some of the most beautiful people I've ever met. And if I saw you stuck in a snowbank, I'd be the first to rush over and help you. I've volunteered most of my life to help adolescents overcome their addictions. I know, I've been there too.

Just like the alcoholic, the addicted individual must WANT to get sober or stop their addiction (to food). Otherwise, in both cases, the lack of desire will destroy any attempts to get sober or  ED-free for life.

All in all success can be achieved. I'm an example of success and I have been for over 5 years...

 What I think fidget meant by her statement was that these people do not behave nicely when in the throes of their disorder. You know the old addage, how can you tell when an addict is lying - their lips are moving. It is true to a great extent. Does that mean everything that comes out of their lives is a lie, no, but in their disease, they lie a lot. They can't help but lie, the truth is too painful and it won't get them the result they desire.

look mypuppylife iv seen you jump in to rescue and defend ed sufferers. i know you have a history and al that. you're not the only one. so do i. and my experience without fail is that while people are entrenched in the disorder, they are manipulative and deceitful individuals who will do anything to facilitate their disease. i said 'while they were in the disorder' ok? i didnt make a generalized statement about these people on the whole. now you can argue with me all you want. my experience remains the same - while people are not actively seeking to recover - they are not good people.

so id be grateful if you didnt jump down my neck about an opinion that is mine. i didnt say anything about success or otherwise. so please save the 'preacher talk'.

Yup-you're right-while they are ACTIVE they are, and yes they will manipulate people. I'VE done that myself. So excuse me for misinterpreting your post. I didn't "jump down your throat".  I DID say I respectfully disagree with your "opinion".

Preacher talk? Interesting...Have a great evening, fidget. Really.

Original Post by fidget84:

look mypuppylife iv seen you jump in to rescue and defend ed sufferers. i know you have a history and al that. you're not the only one. so do i. and my experience without fail is that while people are entrenched in the disorder, they are manipulative and deceitful individuals who will do anything to facilitate their disease. i said 'while they were in the disorder' ok? i didnt make a generalized statement about these people on the whole. now you can argue with me all you want. my experience remains the same - while people are not actively seeking to recover - they are not good people.

so id be grateful if you didnt jump down my neck about an opinion that is mine. i didnt say anything about success or otherwise. so please save the 'preacher talk'.

 *shrug* people lie... are people with disorders any worse because they are lieing about what they are doing instead of how much they spent at the mall today?

Eating disorders can be fun (interesting?) to have... as long as no serious damage is done.

Original Post by loriklorik:

Eating disorders can be fun (interesting?) to have... as long as no serious damage is done.

 Having watched one anorexia sufferer die I really find that offensive - even by your asinine standards.   She was neither fun nor interesting at any stage in the process and it was neither fun nor interesting for the people around her either.  Just rather harrowing and stressful to watch a healthy, intelligent young woman gradually fade and disappear, entirely of her own volition and be completely unable to stop her. 

The lying is worse when you're with anyone in the grip of a self-destructive obsession.  Because they're effectively hoodwinking you into letting them commit suicide... just very, very slowly.

(Keep shrugging, and enjoy being naive.... but perhaps learn how to spell?)

Original Post by loriklorik:

Eating disorders can be fun (interesting?) to have... as long as no serious damage is done.

You think you're being funny? or cute? You're one messed up human being. 

Original Post by gi-jane:

Original Post by loriklorik:

Eating disorders can be fun (interesting?) to have... as long as no serious damage is done.

 Having watched one anorexia sufferer die I really find that offensive - even by your asinine standards.   She was neither fun nor interesting at any stage in the process and it was neither fun nor interesting for the people around her either.  Just rather harrowing and stressful to watch a healthy, intelligent young woman gradually fade and disappear, entirely of her own volition and be completely unable to stop her. 

The lying is worse when you're with anyone in the grip of a self-destructive obsession.  Because they're effectively hoodwinking you into letting them commit suicide... just very, very slowly.

(Keep shrugging, and enjoy being naive.... but perhaps learn how to spell?)

 

 Well, I "think" dieing is kind of a serious damage being done... so... probably not fun and/or interesting in that case?

I have had a wide range of eating disorders, I think they were fun / interesting to have.  

If it's not your idea of interesting, that is fine, I am not saying everyone needs to think the same way (and can be dangerous for some people, for others, not so much).

Original Post by gi-jane:

Original Post by loriklorik:

Eating disorders can be fun (interesting?) to have... as long as no serious damage is done.

 Having watched one anorexia sufferer die I really find that offensive - even by your asinine standards.   She was neither fun nor interesting at any stage in the process and it was neither fun nor interesting for the people around her either.  Just rather harrowing and stressful to watch a healthy, intelligent young woman gradually fade and disappear, entirely of her own volition and be completely unable to stop her. 

The lying is worse when you're with anyone in the grip of a self-destructive obsession.  Because they're effectively hoodwinking you into letting them commit suicide... just very, very slowly.

(Keep shrugging, and enjoy being naive.... but perhaps learn how to spell?)

 

 Thanks for that gi-jane - my mother has had anorexia since she was in her twenties - she is now 67 going on 93.  Because she is a nurse she sort of knew what to do to the extent that she was very very underweight without (she thought) hurting herself.  She now has less thatn 50% kidney function and is in the final stages of a bone degeneration disease - but heh at least she only weighs 80 pounds!!  In her case I say the real disease is perfectionism, anorexia, alcoholism etc are just symptoms of that.  Ashley Judd said once that perfectionism is the highest order of self abuse - true that!! 

The sad part, Lori,  is...she actually IS fun and interesting...that's what makes this so horribly tragic for us that will be left behind - that she couldn't see it and believe it and live it. 

I really fail to see how an eating disorder of any type could be fun or interesing to have

lori....!! lieing is actually spelt LYING and dieing is actually spelt DYING. ....... DUDE!!!