How Do I Identify The Cause of My ED?
I have had disordered eating patterns for years but i have been struggling with restriction very badly since i've gotten to college. i've lost so much weight in such a short period of time. faster than i ever have before. and i just can't stop myself anymore. i feel as if finding the source of my problems and working on healing that could help me get better. but i don't even know where to start.
How would you guys go about analyzing the reason behind your eating habits? Any tips for the introspection? How did you figure out why you do this to yourself?
@iceyiceybb I'm not an expert, but I've read that the causes of eating disorders can be very complex, and that they differ a lot from one person to another.
I've read that losing a lot of weight quickly can cause medical problems, and you would have to rely on your doctor for advice about whether you are at risk in any way. You can't rely on the Internet for medical advice.
To discover the cause, the only reasonably certain way I know is to see a therapist who specializes in that kind of work. As far as I know, most eating disorder therapists don't try to find the cause because it's too difficult, and so they focus on behaviours instead. But there are a few therapists who do help people to understand the causes.
If you're planning to use introspection to analyse the reason on your own, I suspect that might be very difficult. I suppose one way to go about it might be to search the Internet for the the many stories told by other people with eating disorders, and ask yourself whether any of their stories match yours in any way. For example, a few of those stories do tell of significant early childhood influences, and it's possible you might remember that similar things happened to you.
Even if you don't see a therapist, it might be useful to have someone neutral to talk to about all this, and it might be that a listener here at 7 Cups could help you in that way. If you'd like to chat to me, feel free to click on my profile picture and message me.
Charlie
