Comments | ed_ucate: help with self diagnosis

eternald3lusion in ed_ucate

help with self diagnosis

Aug 05, 2012 01:40

First of all, I hope I've understood everything alright and this post is allowed to be here. If not, please let me know and I'll remove it, or please message me privately - I could really use some help.

The thing is, I've never been sure as to whether my issue is an eating disorder, or disordered eating. For the longest time, I thought that it might ( Read more... )

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king_josie August 5 2012, 16:44:43 UTC

I'd echo the above with ED-NOS. I think there's actually very few peoples whose eating disorder falls into a neat category.

The difference i think between "disordered eating" and an eating disorder is kinda the following:
- an ED is when you can't stop your thoughts and behaviour - you're kinda obsessed. If you've got disordered eating you can probably straighten it out and be 'normal'.
- an ED is when you're using your behaviour and thoughts to try deal with something that is deeper and more psychological - as a coping mechanism to deal with negative emotions.

bleed_peroxide August 5 2012, 19:28:13 UTC

*nod nod* I'd have to agree. I think that "disordered eating" is a symptom of a problem, and a problem all its own. But it's kind of... a danger zone, a warning area. It's more in line with "getting obsessive with your diet" than having uncontrollable thoughts or a disregard for the logistics. Plenty of people might get obsessive with losing weight or healthy eating, but not all of them will be given a push into a full-blown eating disorder. It's a very fine line.

Disordered eating can go away when you realize that you don't need to lose more weight. An eating disorder is when you might even realize on a subconscious level that you really don't have to lose more weight, but your eating disorder is much louder and you feel to your very bones that you have no choice because you're still a fat whale, no matter what the scale or what others tell you.

eternald3lusion August 6 2012, 01:17:46 UTC

I think, for a while, I fooled myself into believing it was just 'disordered eating' then because as my weight dropped and I thought I was okay with plateauing for the time being after having lost over 30lbs, it seemed like it had really just...gone away. That I was becoming 'normal.' As soon as that scale tipped beyond what could be considered water weight though, the reality of it hit me. I hadn't beat anything - it had just lulled me into a false sense of security that now, I'm paying for.

I wonder though, what life is like beyond an eating disorder, and if that's even possible for me. I know it has happened for others, but there are going to be people out there who gave in to it and learned to live with it...As much as I don't want to, at the same time, I think I'm holding myself back. I think my eating disorder has defined me more than I dare to realize.

king_josie August 7 2012, 18:00:56 UTC

If this helps at all - i consider myself to be pretty much recovered from my ED. Back when i was sick i felt like it WAS me, a huge chunk of my identity, and as a result i couldn't possibly see me being recovered as being at all realistic - it didn't seem possible. But 3 years down the line i am basically recovered, and i continue to get better and become more and more 'normal' with time - way more 'normal' than i ever thought were possible.
Whether you have the capability to be totally 'normal' or not, it's definitely worth a try - there's absolutely more to life than your ED.

eternald3lusion September 6 2012, 04:56:42 UTC

Sorry for the late reply, but thank you for your answer. I'm glad to hear about another person that's getting passed what I still seem to be stuck in. It reminded me of another girl I grew up with who was actually diagnosed with anorexia while we were in high school but since graduation, her Facebook seems to be showing that she's well recovered, happy, and on the way to getting married.

Unfortunately, it's not doing much to help me, however. I can't seem to stop setting myself apart from people like you that have recovered or are well on their way to being so. I'm trying - I've even returned to the psychiatrist I was referred to several more times now which is definitely a huge step for me, but...things only seem better for one or three days after a session with her before they go back to what they always have been. I can't seem to hold on to hope anymore. It doesn't help that after telling me that the medication that she would be giving me to help with my severe depression would not cause me to gain weight - after promising me that ( ... )

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