had or been close to someone with an eating disorder? you can pm me if you dont want to talk about it in a public forum.

Me.



I have one and know many others who do as well.

Edit:

Are you looking for insight or info on something in particular?

This message has been edited. Last edited by: ~nattie~,

i have been a recovered anorexic/bulimic for over 7 years now. For my speech class im doing an informative speech on ed's, and im finding it incredibly difficult to state what i want to state in 8 minutes or less, so i was hoping to get a little insight as to what i should do. i want it to be basic, with powerpoint of course.
so this is what i have in my head.....
eating disorders-what are they? give definitions in laymans terms
statistics
how and why it occurs
why its dangerous
how to see signs
what to do if you or someone you care about has one
how to help in the recovery process......

theres just so much to it, i could talk about it for hours, which is not a good thing for this speech.

*hugs*

Hmm...I know some online resources that give all right definitions, but then they slip into questionnaires and such.

I've got to go to work soon, and won't be back for about eleven hours...

I can pm you some things when I get back and try to help.

When is your speech due?

Gracious...I feel I should explain something for seeming like an ass, but I don't know WHERE to put it...

Here, maybe?

Oh well!
I've said a few things recently that make me seem like I don't like how I look. That's not entirely true.
I'm fine with how I am, but I can't take a compliment for the life of me. I do have a few hangups, but they're being worked through.
I've always been phobic about pictures, but I had a nervous breakdown last year and went from anorexic workout habits to full-on bulimia.
When it became too much to hide or handle, I immediately apologized to my co-workers and quit my job, mid-shift.
I packed all my belongings that would fit in my car and moved back home to Chattanooga.

Two weeks after that I was in a car wreck and almost died. The only injuries I had were to my skull and some damage to my right shoulder.
I was in the hospital for a day, but I didn't go home properly put together.


This is by NO means an excuse, apology, or plea for pity. This is just an explanation of my issue.
I try not to make statements that hint to how messed up my self-image is right now, but I realize it isn't normal.
I don't really make comparisons between myself and others, it's fruitless. There are a lot of beautiful men and women here. *hugs*

Don't take my little foot-stomping tangents or tantrums to heart. They're more of a cosmic raspberry than anything.

Okay, done. It may not be eloquent or pieced together as I'd have it normally, but I'm not typing it twice or fixing what's already there.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: ~nattie~,

quote:

Originally posted by ~nattie~:
I'm fine with how I am, but I can't take a compliment for the life of me. I do have a few hangups, but they're being worked through.

*raises hand* same thing here.
the husband as well as an ex or two has complained rather bitterly about my inability to take a compliment.

thank you for talking about it. I hope you continue to be beautiful and feel better about yourself.

*~*hugs Nattie*~*

I've missed much of what you refer to as foot-stamping so I won't address the self-image part of your post, but I'd like to offer you my support. If you ever need anyone to check in with in terms of bulimia don't hesitate to PM me, okay? *more hugs*

*huggles*

Thank you, ladies.

Nattie - I certainly understand the seeing yourself differently than others do problem. I can't take compliments either. (Though seeing you I likely get less of them to deal with.)

But maybe if we keep telling you what a beautiful wonderful girl you are - maybe some of it will sink in a little. I hope so - cause you ARE beautiful and wonderful and you should know it.

~hugs Nattie~
It was brave of you to share this.
And I agree with Ava, you are beautiful & wonderful & we're prob not going to shut up about it anytime soon.

First of all: Nattie, I couldn't view your pic and I wanted to. As I recall, at the time of the accident, you made light of it and I thought you were banged up but okay. I'm so sad to hear how hurt you were!

Secondly: Del, did you get enough info for your speech? I'm a member of the esteemed ED population. If I can help in anyway, let me know.

I can tell you one thing right here, my mom always used to throw up when she was stressed out. She would vomit as a form of stress management, for control, but she did not do it in response to any body image issues. Then comes along teenage elbell. When teenage elbell gets stressed about her weight she does what comes naturally, throws up. I'm sure this isn't how it happens for most bulimics. And I'm not blaming mom, because God knows what ever caused her to deal with things in that way. I just feel like this kind of blame is an infinite regress.

I did have an anorexic period. It took a great amount of depression for me to become a successful anorexic. Food is too tasty for me to deny myself of it, but one time I was so so sad, and at that time nothing could rouse my appetite. My fling with anorexia only lasted a couple of months. As disorders go, its not really my style, although there were times when I wanted to be anorexic because I was sick of my weight.

Bulimia was a good fit for me because it allowed me to:
- eat the things I didn't "deserve" and then punish myself
- have a terrible dark secret behavior, a really ugly one, reinforcing my idea that no matter what anyone says to my face, the truth is that I'm a horrible, wasteful, gluttonous, puker.
- finally it reinforced my unworthiness of everything, unworthy of compliments, unworthy of food, not worth caring for, not worth worrying over, not worth a damn.

In conclusion (HaHa! I haven't really concluded anything! I just don't want to take up too much time talking about me Me ME!) I don't blame anyone for what I did. I just think I was at the right place at the right time with the right weak internal condition and then voila! I slipped into a self-destructive loop that took years to get out of, and I'm still working on it.

Hey Nattie!
I found that pretending helps.
Even if you're cringing inside, a "thanks, that's kind of you" and a smile is all people are looking for and they'll stop badgering you (and after a while you stop cringing).

And yikes, that looks like a major car crash. I'm glad you're ok now.

Not to be the many faces of eve here, but in retrospect I feel stupid about my comments above! It was too harsh and ugly.

Truthfully I just wanted to tell Del how I felt about my experience, but from this vantage point I feel like I threw a dead cat in the room.

The harsh ugliness is a real part of the experience, but I shouldn't have slung the emotions around!

Holy shit, am I having a break down? If I hit Post Now that proves it.

elbell, I hope you don't still feel stupid.

I think it took a lot of strength for you to post what you did. It was honest and open and I admire you both for being able to talk about it and to continue fighting against what you want to do but know you shouldn't do. *hugs*

Elbell, I saw nothing wrong with your post. I agree with what Jena just said.

*hugs*

I saw nothing wrong with it either. I thought it was just honest - brutally so perhaps, but that is the way of these things. There were no dead cats in no rooms. I think that most of us who are connected in some ways to ED - whether ourselves or our loved ones, have learned to appreciate real honesty about these things. There are too many lies you can tell yourself and others - there is no need to do that here.

*big hugs* Keep being honest - with us and yourself.

Elbell, you're fine. I understand.

El Bell, I guess you're right. And after a while it doesn't matter why something started, it just is and you deal with it.
*hugs*
It was a good post.

el, it was a very good post. it was harsh, but then it's a harsh subject. and i don't think you "slung emotions around" at all - considering what an emotive subject it is your post was very balanced. (but that could just be because i identify with everything you said)

but anyhow, don't feel stupid.

and nattie: *huge gigantic hugs* i don't really know what to say apart from that. but they are heartfelt.

*hugs to -elbell-*
if that's a break down, it's a very rational and self-aware break down. you have no reason to feel stupid at all.