Roll Call - Who's Here - Who Needs Support?
I see that there are a lot of members in our community. I'm wondering who all is currently here and wanting support but hasn't posted yet, or hasn't posted in a long time? I'd love to hear from you. I'd love to help support you and invite you to make this a more supportive community as well. Perhaps you'd be willing to introduce yourself? I put a couple questions to help get this started.
What prompted you to join the Eating Disorders Subcommunity?
How can we support you here?
What topics would you like to see discussed here in the forum?
What would you like us to know about you?
I'm looking forward to hearing from you, and the opportunity to support you.
I'll start the introductions. I'm Kristen and I've been involved here at 7 Cups since 2014 and returned recently from a break. I struggled with ED for many years and moved through a few different ones from my teens. Thankfully, this is not controlling my life any longer and I hope to be able to support you here in the forum if you'll allow that. Also, I love writing, and I have a cat who likes to help me write. I love the forums, and this is where I will be found most often.
**Edited in 7.30.23 - I just became a Forum Supporter for our Eating Disorder Community. I'd love to get to know you!**
Here is a reminder of the Eating Disorder Subcommunity additional guidelines.
- Refrain from mentioning specific weights or calorie counts to avoid triggering others.
- Remember this is a support community - we should all be supportive of each other’s stories and struggles.
- Everyone’s struggles are different; please avoid encouraging anyone to lose or gain weight.
- Avoid overly graphic content and mark potentially sensitive posts with a ‘Trigger Warning’ at the top line of the post.
- Pro-eating disorder content will not be tolerated.
Found here.
@KristenHR
What prompted you to join the Eating Disorders Subcommunity?
Bc I have an untreated eating disorder, and noone wants to believe that I have a problem, bc I am now overweight.
How can we support you here?
Just talking is really good. I find it helpful to discuss my problems, and get respons from likeminded ppl. I mostly relate to anorexia, bc that's how my mind work, as I next to never binge. I am in the process of loosing weight, but what if when I get to thin/healthy weight, and I can't stop loosing? I wanna loose weight. I wanna be skinny. That's all I've ever wanted. To fit clothes I haven't been wearing in years. I'm so tired of being fat, so getting less meds and seeing my weight go down? Well that's amazing, but also dangerous. I have been very underweight most of my life, and I want it back, even though I know it's sick :S
What topics would you like to see discussed here in the forum?
Mostly how to deal with guilt from eating, also how to loose weight in a healthy way, bc I really need to loose quite a few KGs.
What would you like us to know about you?
Nobody takes me serious. Not even my doctor. I tell her that my problem is not overeating (even if I'm overweight), but feeling guilt whenever I eat anything, deserved or not. I hate that I can't just eat and be ok with it. I weigh everything, and often skip meals. My meds are what makes me overweight. After I dropped in dosis I have lost almost a third of the weight I wanna loose.
I'm so tired of feeling guilty for eating a salad or eating something more "risky" like a doughnut. I'm just so tired of not being taken seriously. Bc all my life has ever been about is loosing weight and being thin. Before the meds I WAS indeed thin! Can you believe it? It feels like such a long time ago. I was underweight, and still saw myself as fat. My mindset hasn't changed on that point, only that now I AM indeed fat.
I also eat at night, but not as much as I used to.
@TheMadHatterWasHere
Thanks for sharing! Thanks for responding to the questions as well. It helps a lot to know how to support each other when we get to see a glimpse of what's going on.
One of the myths out there is that body size determines if someone has an eating disorder or disordered eating. And that is a myth. You can be in a thin, appropriate size, or overweight body and have an eating disorder, disordered eating, or be okay. Looking at someone does not accurately reflect an eating disorder.
This is a good place to get support. One of the challenges with medication can be weight gain, and significant weight gain at that. So struggling with this effect of your medication can be quite frustrating and can even be frightening for some.
You mentioned not being comfortable with your body size, and I think body image issues is something that a lot of people can relate to. I hope others will share as well. I'm sorry your physician won't believe you. I've met several people who struggle with restrictive and even anorexic type behaviors who are overweight. Thanks for being vulnerable with us. You are NOT alone, though I'm sure you feel very alone.
Do you have a therapist or psychiatrist that you are working with who knows about your eating and body image issues? Not anyone, but one that has training in eating disorders whether through college courses or continuing education training? They can be helpful to addressing what is behind the food issues.
@KristenHR My doctor thinks I MUST HAVE (her own words) BED bc I am overweight. Having atypical anorexia as an overweight person is not possible in her eyes...
@TheMadHatterWasHere
I hate hearing that for you. Please keep reaching out here if you're comfortable and allow us to support you.
@KristenHR My psychiatrist is the same btw. But then again she doesn't know anything about EDs. And the ED center doesn't want me bc of my schizophrenia, so I'm kinda in limbo :S
@TheMadHatterWasHere
I'm sorry I missed this post when you made it.
Are you familiar with the National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA)? They have a lot of information about eating disorders, and even those where individuals don't fit into the "typical" category of eating disorders.
Another site that comes to mind if for professionals if they are needing support or education, is the International Association of Eating Disorders Professionals. They have a lot of information, training and conferences symposiums.
I'm glad you're here. I don't have any way to make things better for you, but I definitely can be here for you!
Hi @KristenHR, glad to be here!
I joined this community because I have had an eating disorder for most of my life. I have been successful in keeping the “tiger in the cage” for years at a time off and on, but am in the midst of a major relapse. I have a therapist and dietician so I meet with weekly, but I find 7cups and this forum helpful during those times I don’t have anyone to talk to. And it also helps me to be able to come here and encourage others when I can. Nice to meet everyone!
@mich765
Nice to meet you. I'm glad you come by 7 Cups to get and give support when you are able and want to join in. I'm sorry you're going through a major relapse right now. That can be so discouraging when you are managing it, and when you have been doing what you need to do and feeling like you're making progress.
How can we help or encourage you right now in the midst of your relapse?
Know that we're here and we'll support you as we can. Keep your head up and know you can turn this corner again. I'm glad you have professional support to lean on and sort out what has prompted the relapse and how to get out from under it and get back to where you want to be, and even further than you were before with your healing.
@KristenHR thank you so much for your kind words and encouragement. Just having this group of others who are struggling as I am is a huge help. I have very few people in my life who know I’ve relapsed (and they are not safe to tell), and it can be exhausting not having support when I need it.
What prompted me to join Eating Disorder Subcommunity here at 7cups?
It began! I, too, have been a part of 7cupsoftea for a long time.
As a member I first found 7cups at the end of October of 2015. So yeah, I'm "old" in 7cups time; before there were subcommunities to be a part of!
I have been diagnosed with an eating disorder for a long portion of my adult life. At first, my diagnosis was EDNOS (which technically is no longer a diagnosis). I think my diagnosis most recently was anorexia nervosa - restricting type. That was probably reassigned in the last 5-6 years.
How can we support you here?
One thing that would be very helpful for me within the forum section of the ED Subcomm would be to have a check-in. A central place to have maybe a question or two to respond to, or just a central forum spot to vent or ask for help or somethin. For me, best might be a weekly check-in as daily is a lot of work for the leaders and monthly isn't enough (personally). The check-ins I know can be hard because they kind of need a lot of response-power, which means time. But that I think is what really would help me most.
The 'check-in' type postings and responses I think would be so important for me that I will leave that as my only idea/suggestion in this answer.
What topics would you like to see discussed here in the forum?
One idea I would appreciate input on, or help with, is working on finding and using support tools. I see this as similar to 'coping skills' but perhaps on a more direct ? thought line? - like coping skills with feet to it and directly for Eat.Dis.
My eating disorder leans far to the anorexic side of problems; so, I find it hard when other skills seem to mention only limiting amounts of food or exercise. I need encouragement and even advice on how much is a 'good for Platy' amount, a *healthy* amount. Healthy amounts of a lot of parts of life really; but for here more basic health things: food, sleep, exercise, play, work - the main parts of life. What I need to allow life to continue! and then *also* allow this life to grow past sustaining and into thriving – to really living!
What would you like us to know about you?
Hello, my name is Platy! Please feel free to call me: Platy! hehe or Platypus is okay. Yes, cyan is a fine color, but it is only in my username and *not* my preferred moniker. I battle daily with anorexia – restricting type. It is very much a current battle for me. But, and more importantly, my ED diagnosis is NOT me! I am a female American citizen, who enjoys reading and watching movies. I LOVE animals as well as most things theater! I adopted my SST (K9-type) about 3 years ago; her color is mostly black with bits of white. Her birthday is this month! and she will be five years old :)
@KristenHR, P.S. Hi Kristen! Remember me? :)
@cyanPlatypus6370
Hi Platy,
So good to see you! I definitely do remember you. Good to know you're here and still participating.
Thank you so much for specific suggestions and feedback. That is very helpful as I'm getting started in the role of Forum Supporter here in this community. We can definitely put in place weekly check-ins. I will set those up on Sundays which can be filtered with the topic on the right as Discussions & Check-ins and the current check-in will be with the current week's date (ie. Aug 8-12).
I am hearing you on needing support for anorexia - restricting and eating healthy amounts. One of my goals is to make this site active for all types of eating disorders. I want to encourage you to utilize our section as you need to, to reach out for the support you need, to make posts that you are needing to make, and let us join you in support.
In addition, if you haven't already, please go to the Eating Disorder Support Automated Tag List to add yourself to the tag list to be notified when I add the check-in threads as well as any events or important announcements. Instructions are there to be added and removed to the tag list for the Eating Disorders Community.
Thank you for sharing what would be helpful, what you'd like to see, and for sharing a bit about you. I love animals as well. I have a cat who loves attention and thinks she is a dog. Good to hear from you again!