Do I Have an Eating Disorder?
Hi everyone.
I've always had trouble eating enough food. I think it's related to my depression and my lack of motivation to take care of myself. When I was a teenager I would go days without eating. And it's normal today for me to just have one meal. I mostly don't have the energy to prepare food, so I end up eating maybe [edited for calorie specifics/triggers by forum mentor] a day. It affects my mood and my energy levels.Is this still considered an eating disorder, and is there a particular name for it?
@SleepySloth - I'm not a doctor, so I can't formally diagnose anything, but whether it's an eating disorder or a severe symptom of your depression, it sounds like it's a pretty big issue and can be really dangerous to your health. Have you talked to anyone about it? If energy is the primary issue to eating more, are there things you can keep around that take next to no effort to prepare so that it's easier to start eating a little more? Please reach out to a listener here if you think you could use some extra help brainstorming or if you need to talk through what's going on. Take care
I have the same problem. I think I accidentally kind of... broke my hunger response as a kid, and now I don't really notice that I haven't eaten enough at regular intervals.
I had a roommate for several years, and we had an arrangement where we'd split the grocery bill and cook for two every day, so I ALWAYS ate at least one good meal a day. But she had to move and it turns out I am terrible at just taking care of ME. Lack of motivation, mostly. I can't be bothered to cook for just ME, it's boring.
I'm trying to pull myself back up to a place where I'm taking better care of myself, maximizing my calories any way I can. I buy whole milk, eat lots of cheese, heavily butter my toast when I'm not feeling well enough for anything more substantial. I eat bananas or apples with peanut butter, or apples with slices of cheese, or I have tortillas topped with cream cheese+whatever seems like a good idea as a snack. (Cream cheese + hoisin sauce? MAGICAL.) Trail mix, by the way, makes an excellent alternative to granola bars. I highly recommend the big jars at Costco.
Try to drink more water, too--I'll eat less if I know its going to make me thirsty, sometimes. Couple times a week I buy a premade salad lunch. I haven't got the hang of cooking/storing vegetables for one, so it's genuinely cheaper to do that than to buy a ton of vegetables and let 80% of them spoil.
Those are some good tips on maximizing calories when you're unable to maximize meals/volume of food. It soudns like you're really regaining control in your life - congratulations!
EDNOS:Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified
EDNOSis a serious mental illness that occurs in adults, adolescents and children. 40% - 60% of people who seek treatment for an eating disorder haveEDNOS. People withEDNOScommonly present with extremely disturbed eating habits, a distorted body image and an intense fear of gaining weight.
EDNOS is often an undiagnosed silent disorder which unfortunately can go unnoticed. The reason for this is because EDNOS sufferers do not presentsymptoms severe enough to be diagnosed according to the average eating disorder's strict criteria or present symptoms of multiple eating disorders. Although these sufferers may not seem to have an unhealthy weight, or have any changes in weight, the psychological effects are still very real. Sufferers often are inconsistent with their diets, some jumping from binging to starvation.
For more information go tohttp://nedc.com.au/ednos
And watchhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OQbUZeYAik
So I can't eat in the morning because I always feel sick whilst doing so. I have one meal a day and sometimes I can go all day without a snacking or eating anything. Sometimes I have no energy to go to work and I feel dizzy throughout the day. I can't eat at school because people judge what I eat and so I don't eat in front of other people. Even when I have tea with the family, I eat in a different room at the table. Is this an eating disorder?
@SadandCrestfallen - As I said before, I'm not a doctor, so I can't officially diagnose anything, but whether it's an eating disorder or not, it sounds like it's becoming a pretty big issue in your life, and any issues around restricting food can ultimately be really dangerous. Have you reached out to anyone to get help or support? If not, would you feel comfortable telling someone in your family or talking to a therapist about this? It sounds like it might help to have a really open conversation about it and figure out how to start working towards healthier eating patterns. Take care
I've never gotten help or told anyone, I'm too ashamed in myself. I don't have a counsellor but when I go back to school I'm thinking of getting one
@sadandcrestfallen - I think that's a good idea. At a lot of schools, the counselors are free and confidential, and starting to talk about what's going on can be really helpful. Another option is to go to an eating disorder support group. If you're in the US, anad.org has a lot of them on their site. If you're not, there are other options, you just have to dig a bit more online. That was the single most helpful thing to me in my recovery.
Take care
That just means I have to wait around 6/7 weeks then. But thank you so much for replying
I'm going through this exact thing. Is it just depression that causes a lack of wanting to eat ? I'm already thin, I've lost 15 pounds since march. I can see my ribs and feel every part of me way too well. I feel so weak most of the time. I think I really need help
@deliveryKarma - regardless of what is causing it, it definitely sounds like you could use some help. Have you reached out to anyone? Can you talk to a family member or friend or reach out to a doctor/therapist? I know those can be tough conversations to have, so practicing on a listener here might be helpful, too, and I know there are loads of great listeners who would be happy to help. Take care, and let me know if there is any way we can support you.