Help me, please (I think I may have developed an eating disorder)?!
Question: Hello,
I'm a 15 year old girl, and I'm about 5'5 and weigh around 105.
Lately, for an odd reason, my stomach has just completely shrunk. I can eat about 5 fries, and I'll be so full I'm uncomfortable. Now, before in the past, I have had issues with my eating. In grade 9, I starved myself, almost passed out, and weighed 96 pounds. I have had issues eating since the summer of grade 7.
People think that I have an eating disorder, but I just don't see it.
Even though, it sounds obvious when I say "I've starved myself for days on end" I just don't see myself classifying it as an actual 'eating disorder'
Please, help.
And also, lately, I have been having these horrible pains in my back, and I have been told that it's my muscle detiriating.
Now, I don't know what to do. Especially since I have been doing this on and off for about 3-4 years now.
Please, any help given would be appreciated.
Answers: Hello,
I'm a 15 year old girl, and I'm about 5'5 and weigh around 105.
Lately, for an odd reason, my stomach has just completely shrunk. I can eat about 5 fries, and I'll be so full I'm uncomfortable. Now, before in the past, I have had issues with my eating. In grade 9, I starved myself, almost passed out, and weighed 96 pounds. I have had issues eating since the summer of grade 7.
People think that I have an eating disorder, but I just don't see it.
Even though, it sounds obvious when I say "I've starved myself for days on end" I just don't see myself classifying it as an actual 'eating disorder'
Please, help.
And also, lately, I have been having these horrible pains in my back, and I have been told that it's my muscle detiriating.
Now, I don't know what to do. Especially since I have been doing this on and off for about 3-4 years now.
Please, any help given would be appreciated.
Eating disorders are very complex.
Do you find yourself so unwilling to eat that you satisfy your body's overwhelming need for sugar by putting Equal or sucralose on ice cubes and eating that?
Do you purge to the point that your teeth are rotting from the stomach acids?
Do others consider you to be sneaky, manipulative, or just plain mean?
IF you HONESTLY answered "no" to all three questions, you probably do not have an eating disorder.
Eating disorders are psychiatric matters. You could just as easily have a physical illness that causes the symptoms you are describing; I can think of a number of possibilities.
So...try this...
1. Scrap the advice from laymen. You need the services of medical professionals, whether psychiatric or otherwise.
2. Approach your parents with the above information...both my statements and your questions. If you are afraid that they will not be receptive, ask your school nurse or school guidance counselor to arrange a meeting between you, your parents, and the counselor AND nurse. Present all of this information at the meeting in a mature and respectful way.
3. Once you have convinced your parents that something is wrong, you are going to be subjected to some misery: urine tests, blood tests, personality inventories (its like a test at school, but they ask questions about things you've done and hypotheticals about what you might do...firestarting, violence, shoplifting, relationships, etc). You may see several doctors...an gastroenterologist (stomach and intestines), a psychiatrist, an endocrinologist (glands...like the pancreas, hypothalamus, and so on)...you may see other professionals, like a nutritionist, a psychologist, a social worker, maybe Nurse PRactioners and/or Physician Assistants. Tell them all everything, truthfully, and volunteer any information that comes to mind while you are talking to them. You might find it helpful to keep a record of their questions and answers to share with other professionals.
Eventually, a doctor will determine the correct treatment...and, if you comply with this treatment, it will fix your problem.
You need to eat. You need a therapist to help you realize what you are doing to yourself and why. Buy eat!! If you can only take a few bites, take a few bites every couple of hours. You are causing serious serious damage to your body, forcing it to consume itself to survive. Eat!
If youve been starving yourself your stomach wont be used to a large intake of food
try eating a little bit more food each day
also
get help, it is not healthy
STAY STRONG
wow Im really scared for you! I had an eating problem a few weeks ago to and I didnt eat for a few weeks and it was scary, my blood pressure was so low that it kinda scared me in to eating! well see a doctor and a pyshcologist its probably all in your head, maybe sub consiously your body and mind are trying to keep you skinny, I swear thats what happend to me
yea whats latly i have been barly eatin its like i can eat just one tiny tiny tiny litlle bit of ham or maybe a cookie and fill full and thats all i eat for a day right then i wake up another day and just eat like that again and still feel full well mostly its from depresion and depresion and stress pretty much the same thing can make u feel problems wit your body everywhere just try to do things like in the old days 2 cheer ur self up i waiged 135 and lost 10 pounds in less than 2 days because of bein stressed and barly eatin but forse ur self 2 eat alot of food no matter how much u dont want 2 and make your self eat and tomarrow or somethin try 2 make a apoinment with a doc or someone that deals with emotions and sh1t
I know how it feels,
I feel fat,
so I starve until I lose weight again.
But your also in denial,
because you don't really think you are,
you just see it as another way to lose weight?
You just need to slowly get back into a good healthy eating habit, but don't eat rubbish, eat good sensible portions, and try to keep it up!
And yes it sounds like you do have an eating disorder, and it is nothing to be ashamed of, 1 out of 10 teenage girls are happy with they're appearance, for whatever reason that is, but this is very unhealthy, this could have come on by emotional pressure or other reasons, either way its unhealthy.
You need to try to get back to eating healthy!
Good luck!
And just so you know, there is nothing more beautiful than girls with curves! ^^