|
Post by hellsbells on Jun 22, 2011 17:17:54 GMT -5
Hi, I'm replying to this before your intro thread...
There aren't many of us who can genuinely comment on eating disorders, but what I can tell you is that (I was overweight to start with) I gained around 2.5 stone in the 7 months I was on Provera. Still not shifted it and been off it since last August. Please make sure you seek the right medical advice and support for eating disorders.
|
|
|
Post by 1234 on Jun 22, 2011 19:45:56 GMT -5
Hi Smithereens, and welcome.
I struggled with eating disorders for years. I want to hold out hope that you can overcome anorexia/bulimia! I feel fully recovered now, but it took years. I still struggle sometimes with thinking I should "punish" myself for eating something I felt I shouldn't, but I no longer act on that feeling, and I can completely move away even from the thought. I think I had my first dessert in 10 years about 6-7 years ago (without throwing it back up), and I haven't looked back. It's so wonderful not to have that negative pressure weighing down on my mind, all the time. I understand not wanting to go to a therapist or discussing these issues with your regular doctor, but I do really encourage you to find someone who can help you beat this disease. It's beatable and curable. 100%.
Managing this with the endo and the bcp is another kettle of fish. I would suggest that you be honest with yourself about what you can handle--if you can't handle the weight gain from the bcp and it's making the desire to starve yourself or purge stronger, go back to your doctor and ask for a different type of birth control that won't cause that particular side effect for you. Karen posted a table of different side effects of different bcps--I'll try to find it.
I know that this isn't something that you can probably hear right now, but being 1 pound over bmi DOES NOT make you overweight. That is such a flawed scale. If you are even slightly athletic, it's completely wrong, for instance. Please don't tie your mind to that scale; it's so much more important to be healthy!
Also, just as a word of encouragement, anorexia and bulimia can really, really mess up your digestion, for a long time. Endo already messes it up enough, so I do really encourage you to figure out how to take the steps to start beating this disease, for your health and happiness.
Sorry for this long message; hope some of it is helpful.
|
|
|
Post by pretty on Jun 22, 2011 21:33:22 GMT -5
Hey Smither! Thanks for being totally honest, I know a lot of us struggle with these issues to some degree. Many, many women share your self-esteem problems whether they act on it with eating habits or not. Many, many women overeat as an eating disorder, and they are affected severely by their actions just as anorexics are. I just really feel for you and personally I too was bulimic in my teens. Looking back it was all tied to depression and issues brought on of all things by BCP use (prescribed for menstrual problems, etc!) Please see a naturopath or other whole-body practioner when you can and be as honest with them. They may have suggestions of supplements and diet tips to help you maintain optimum health. Please don't mess around and ignore your endo. An eating disorder is something you need to deal with now so it doesn't affect your long term health, as you get older, you will need your body and spirit to be strong and vital so that you can beat your endometriosis! Allow yourself to forgive yourself for what you have done in the past. Find a way, if not in therapy, to deal with the issues that cause your purging, and please embrace the awesome person you are inside. You are gonna need all your energies to deal with endo, so do yourself a favor. We're here if you need help! and props for being real. That's awesome! Lisa
|
|
|
Post by cloudyrain on Jun 23, 2011 15:45:19 GMT -5
Hey honey, I just want to say how amazing it is that you can say what you have - it's such a hard thing to do.
For years I had a very well disguised eating disorder, no one knew. For me it wasn't about my size, but about control. When I felt the rest of my life spiralling I would stop eating. It was like a game in my head that made me feel proud of winning. In fact it got to a point where it was the only thing that made me happy. Eventually, when I developed anxiety and was signed off work with the treat of sectioning by my GP (in a nice way I mean, it was a different one to the person I see now, and she was amazing and knew just how to get me back on track). I had therapy and it helped me realise that my not eating was out of control, and to gain control of my life I needed to eat. I remember when I first told my mum she laughed and thought I was joking, she said that I always ate, but when i made her think about it she broke down and couldn't believe it. I even showed her my car boot that was full of the mouldy food I had hidden.
I really think, like the other girls have said, if you are feeling like this, and recognizing the signs and triggers, you need to look for help in a way that suits you. There are loads of options out there such as human person centred counselling - which having studied i can highly recommend. The thing is to find what suits you best, research the options and try them out.
Thank you again for posting. I have never mentioned this in any detail (other than food control issues) to anyone other than my very very close family and friends, and im really feeling like I am tipping into it again these last few days, and reading your post has made me focus.
Sending you my love honey xxx
|
|
|
Post by msheathieliz on Aug 26, 2011 17:09:16 GMT -5
It is incredibly important to discuss your mental health with a doctor you trust. There are so many different medicines out there, there's no reason why you should have to suffer (unless of course there is only 1 known medicine for what ails you.) Since hormones help to balance your body and mind, it is important to tell your doctor how your hormone-affecting drugs are working! If the weight gain from the combination of drugs is leaving you in misery, this needs to be mentioned! There might be another way! In regards to your eating disorder, I would strongly encourage you to seek professional counseling even if you're not currently engaging in behaviors or underweight. Having a healthy relationship with food is incredibly important to your physical health and your mental health. As someone who has recovered from anorexia, it feels amazing to be able to eat what I want and not have to compensate or kick my butt about it later or feel like I have to earn the right to eat. I thought my issues were about food, but it turns out my issues stemmed from a life time of never feeling like I was good enough or worthy. And I suffered from low self esteem for years because of it. There are resources online to help you like www.supportgroups.com, an amazing woman you can call at edphonetherapy.com/, and psychologytoday.com to help you find a therapist in your area. There are tons more, but these have helped me. Best wishes to you during this rough time!
|
|