Eating Disorders.

I have wanted to write about this subject for a while now but I didn't know how to start this conversation so I hope now that I am starting this conversation it will get people talking and maybe thinking about this topic.

What I am wondering is, is there many members who have come into contact with someone with an eating disorder or has a friend or loved one who has an eating disorder? Or do you yourself have an eating disorder? Please only reply to this topic if you feel comfortable talking about this topic. I also hope this topic doesn't offend, upset or make anyone feel uncomfortable. That is not my intention.

I have a mental health condition and that's Bi Polar. When my mental health is not good and even when it is good I sometimes cope with the high's and lows by reverting back to purging. I have been doing this on and off for a long time now and whilst I do know it's not a healthy thing to be doing I feel like I have better control over my mental health when I do it.

The purging is I'd say at times sporadic but then there are times when it is constant. Now whilst I know it's not good to do as it affects the body and mind I find it very hard not to do it. Now whilst I have lost weight doing it, the weight loss is not obvious to family and friends as far as I know. I did have a period where I did it everyday for two/three weeks and I lost 8lb and I felt really good about it.

There are issues with how I look at times but I try to eat healthily and not purge but as I have gotten older I find I am doing it more. I know that at times my confidence is not good but I am a positive person or at least I try to be.

Have any other members come into contact with anyone with an eating disorder and if yes how have you coped?

I appreciate all comments and once again I hope I don't offend

Nice to see you posting again Moneypenny

Thank you sweetie. I hope you are well. I only recently checked back in and I didn't realize how long it had been.

I knew someone who had anorexia and almost died from it, he recovered after a stay in hospital, it is an insidious illness.

You abandoned us!!!

But epically positive return!

Eating disorders are a horrible disease to have and I wouldn’t wish it on one. A lot of people don’t realize that men have eating disorders too. I hope your friend is better now.

I did abandon you all and for that I beg forgiveness. It’s good to be back posting. You are too good to me.

I know a woman at work when her husband left her for a younger model she lost a lot of weight but although said she felt better it was clear something was wrong. She said she only ate loads of junk food and then made herself sick and why cook for only one person now as the house was not worth being happy over. She had no control over it and just felt like it was easier as she did it and felt like a normal thing to do as she would eat four or five doughnuts and then a mars bar and then some of those pastry cake things and a coffee and then she would get sick. I have no idea if she did it at work times but I had told the boss I was concerned because when she fainted and I sat her down on the chair and gave her water her arms were so thin and I could sense something was not right. The boss silly person said she was maybe stressed and let her go home. I gave her my number in case she needed a chat but really am not a medical person so all I could do was say if she needed help it would be ok to call me. I have not seen or heard from her for a while and wonder what happened to her or will she come back or did she seek medical attention.
My boss understands people all have problems he had no problem with my Asperger's but I feel in this case he was not really helpful towards a woman who clearly needed help.

I'm prone to comfort eating / eating emotionally.

It's not as bad as the more severe illnesses like anorexia or bulimia, but it's none the less an insidious like fucker.
As Stephen Fry put it (I;m paraphrasing) eating disorders are especially difficult becasue, if you were, say an alcoholic, you could try giving up alcohol and staying off it, avoid situations where it is consumed.
Eating disorders however, need to be tamed because you need food to live. You HAVE to come face to face with your disorder every day several times and constantly moderate it in order to live as a healthy person.

If I may ask, Moneypenny, do you feel your disorder is centered more in using your self image to try feel good about yourself, i.e., you wish to be thinner, and you can control that by purging, so "why would you not". i.e., would you say it's MORE about the food and yourself image, then emotional chastisement?

Or, do you feel it's more about being able to control and change your emotions. i.e., (and this is an extreme example) some people with depression might self harm as a way of forcing themselves into feeling 'different', like "well it's not great, but at least I've forced myself into a change of feelings" and that ability to 'jump start' yourself out of the gigantic grayness becomes addictive.
After all it's easier and less hopeless to deal with a sharper, smaller more obvious pain like a razor cut, then a gigantic, confusing, never ending toothache of depression.

Sorry if those question are very sensitive.
My system, if / when I suffer from depression (i've had a bad two week just there, but I;m coming out the other side now and I feel l happy, calm and "forgived") is retreating, spending time alone, forgiving myself, being kind to myself, letting myself be selfish, and waiting it out.

I'm also an emotional eater, but, like NEVER the twain shall meet as I would be susceptible to "trying to eat my depression away" If ever I didn't keep something like that in check.

Right now (to keep them separate) what I do is, if it's an everyday situation and I want a treat, "ouu! chips and a sandwich up town"
I'll run a quick check; "do I want a treat, because it'll be nice and one ought to occasionally treat one'self? or do I want a treat because I'm depressed, and my subconscious is trying to eat my sadness away?"

If "it'll just be nice and I want a treat and sure, life is for living" I do it.
Because life is for living, and there's no point being a misery guts or chastising yourself every day, even when you're actually just being a normal, decent person, going for a sandwich and chips up town because it'll be nice.

If "depressed, and I may be trying to eat my blues away" then no way.
I know it doesn't work (won't fix it), and my inner strict-parent steps in and tells me to go relax, speak with a friend, play a computer game, watch a good film, or watch comedy. "food isn't for that" I'd tell myself and I find as a system, it works for me.

I have never had an eating disorder but have to deal with Asperger everyday. I wonder if the woman at work got help as she still has not come in and she has not contacted me.

Just read that An estimated 200,000 people in Ireland are affected by an eating disorder with 400 new cases each year resulting in 80 deaths annually (Vision for Change 2006). Eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are serious mental health problems more common in women than in men.

You never know. Maybe your boss is looking after her but can't say anything to you because of confidentiality.

Well when she fainted he kind of dismissed it so who knows... He was rather harsh at first when I said I had Aspergers and needed to take notes then could do the job but notes were a must and he kind of laughed but three weeks later he was kind of nice and said if I needed help to ask the supervisor no problem. So maybe he knows something and just keeps it to himself. But I still would like to know as she fainted and was not at all in the right frame of mind and if she does not get the help she needs I fear she will go downhill. I am lucky because I have help but she is alone but as someone at work told me you can not help them all, they have to agree or ask for help.