What causes an eating disorder?
There isn't any one single cause of eating disorders; there are many different causes and it's often not just one thing but a combination of factors. It's possible that some people are genetically predisposed to getting an eating disorder - sometimes it seems to run in families. Many people with eating disorders do have low self esteem, but not every single person. Control can also be a major factor. For many people I think it begins as a (very negative) coping mechanism: when the stress gets too much to cope with, they turn to food to try to cope, either by restricting their food intake, overexercising, bingeing, purging, etc. I know someone with an eating disorder who had a family history of eating disorders, but it was issues like bullying, bereavement and depression which triggered it. It could be a way to cope with anxiety, depression, stress, low-self esteem, uncontrollable life events. But of course it soon turns into a problem of its own and makes things worse in the long term. Even with anorexia it's not just about weight or "wanting to look skinny."
What is it like to recover from an eating disorder?
In my personal experience, having allowed my eating disorder to take grip for many years before I did battle with it, recovery was a long, slow and painful process. As I started eating I went through a period of being physically unwell - (unintentionally) throwing up almost everything I ate and feeling unable to get out of bed with horrible flu like symptoms. I think perhaps my body just wasn't used to food. And when my weight did begin to increase I was terrified of the way my body started to look - despite being still physically underweight, my body looked obese and hideous to me. As my weight increased my brain started to function again and went into overdrive - memories which had been locked up for a long time began to plague me in the form of night terrors for many months. It was a very,very hard time which I could not have made it through without the amazing support I had. The other thing I discovered was that (even many years on) I never got to a point where I felt like I was 100% recovered and could leave my eating disorder behind. I found that every day I had to wake up and make a positive decision to eat healthily. To this day I have to be in control of my diet by making sure I eat three meals a day without fail. No matter what is going on in my life at that moment, I must eat a meal or something like one. I fear that if I don't I might lose control - much like an alcoholic can't have a single glass of wine... Above all though, recovery is hugely empowering. Suffering from an eating disorder is like being a prisoner and recovery made me discover the world afresh and appreciate all the amazing things I could be and do. It made me appreciate my life and want to seize every opportunity with both hands. So in short - recovery is hard, but it's totally worth it!
How long can an eating disorder take to develop?
Don't worry, this isn't one of those "i want an eating disorder" questions at all. But my main question is, can it take a length of time for an eating disorder to develop? For instance, is it sometimes the case that somebody over a year or more displays many eating-disordered behaviours over amounts of time but never loses more than about half a stone, and ends up going back to almost normal eating even though the thoughts are still there? If this person gains weight overall but after suicide attempts starts these behaviours in more force, is it likely that they'll develop an eating disorder or more likely that they won't and they'll just go back to normal again? Overall, how does an eating disorder often start and how long can it take to really become an eating disorder? Thank you for any answers.
If you have ever had (or known personally) someone with an eating disorder, what do you think caused it?
For me personally, it was a mix of many things.I grew up as a fat child and was bullied for my weight constantly, body and weight comments from family and friends, my mother is obese and for as long as I can remember has been dieting on and off, societal beauty standards, depression and general self hatred, pro anorexia websites for sure had an influence on me, my older sister being skinny and praised for it, but the need for control and perfection was a big one for me.Some science also suggests that eating disorders can be passed down through generations like depression or addiction. [Edit: while I don’t think my mother has a full blown eating disorder, I do believe she shows some signs of disordered eating.]Growing up I felt I hadn’t no control over anything around me, I experienced traumatic events that were violating to say the least. I couldn’t control these scenarios, but I could control my own body and what I choose to put in and take out.But that’s the sick twist with eating disorders, you feel like you’re in control but it’s a gross false sense of control, the disorder controls you. The control you think you have was lost the moment the disorder dictates how you live your life. They are no longer choices you make, but things you need to do to avoid feeling suicidal, at least in my experience.Sorry for my mini tangent.
What do you think causes eating disorders?
low self esteem brought on by negative life events that are beyond one's control. i believe eating disorders are a way to control one's life that is out of control. to feel that you have no control over the happenings in your life can definitely have a negative effect on your self esteem. not everyone has the same reaction to events like this in their life. some people are actually well and healthfully equipped to deal with stress and trauma. some people are not and there's always that line that may be crossed. some people drink, some people gamble, some people use drugs, some people starve themselves, some people overeat, some people cut themselves....etc. etc....
Should I tell people about my struggles with eating disorders?
Should I tell people about my struggles with eating disorders?Yes, you should. But be selective whom you tell.Handling an eating disorder on your own is tough, because your own judgement )about how far in you are int the disorder) can be impaired, so you’ll need people who will be willing to help you face the problem, and look for solutions to get you out of it.So choose people who love you and care for you, avoid telling those who also deal with some kind of addiction, and avoid telling those who won’t be willing to tell you the truth in fears of losing your friendship.There is help, and there are people willing to help you.Give them a chance.Give yourself a chance.You can do it.Aim for a healthy lifestyle.Imagine yourself well.Every person struggles differently. Self -therapy sounds like a noble concept, but it may also serve as an excuse to those who are too deep in for that, and actually need an outside intervention.I can see how you wanted to help those who’ll read your story on Wattpad, however it’s difficult to predict as to what degree they’ll find it worthy of following, will find the strength within themselves to make the change, and how many will use it as a comparison tool and do nothing about their own disorder.
Do people who have encountered traumatic and difficult life events feel as they can survive anything?
In my personal experience/opinion, I feel as if I can.I obtained PTSD in the summer of 2015. I won’t go into the situation, but it was right after I turned 20 years old. It took a month of severe depression and developing an eating disorder, and another month of mood swings like never before until they found the diagnosis. I minimized myself because I thought I hadn’t been through combat, I haven’t been to war, Why would I have PTSD from my incident when it wasn’t even that severe?Moving forward…Everything got worse, every time I thought life couldn’t hit me any harder it threw another uppercut. My friend went to jail, my brother almost went to jail, 2 people died, My supervisor changed to someone who didn’t really understand me. I fell in love with someone who was mentally, physically & emotionally abusive & manipulative. I don’t know why or how I fell in love with them but it was extremely challenging to leave him. I voluntarily tortured myself by watching the guy I was still in love with push me aside & fall back into his ex-girlfriends arms. I didn’t tell almost anyone about my illness or my incident as I hadn’t felt a need to until I recieved paperwork after paperwork for things that my brain was doing that I didn’t seem to have a grip on. I was confused, tired, having nightmares, and heartbroken. My eating disorder went from one extreme to the other, where as now I was barely eating half a meal a day, let alone 3. I had felt like eating was a waste of time and energy. There was a point where I was working 12 hour shifts for 20 straight days. I was so sleep deprived and hungry that I relied on multiple energy drinks just to avoid falling asleep standing up. there was one night that I tried to sleep but literally layed in the dark for 8 hours and then left for work on no sleep and I still don’t know why. I fantasized about suicide several times a week at this point and everytime I tried to cheer myself up, it seems like it was a needle in the neverending haystack. I kept pushing through though, because I don’t believe in giving up. Finally in January of 2016, I made it. I went inpatient in a hospital and they helped me tremendously. I’m way better now.My point is, if I could survive & push through the last 6 months of my 2015, then I can survive anything.