afraid to eat?

versagen
versagen Posts: 8
in Health and Weight Loss
alright, i have bulimia and i've never had problems eating. like, never ever. if i eat i purge but i never hesitate when it comes to eating. but lately i've found that when i pick up food i immediately think of thousands of reasons why i can't eat it, and /have/ to put it down. the problem is that because of this i've had absolutely no energy to exercise and my lack of food means my weight is dropping at a pretty rapid rate which /would/ be fine but i'm not used to it happening so quickly. what could be happening to me? is it purely psychological and should i seek help?

Replies

  • Lina4Lina
    Lina4Lina Posts: 712 Member
    Yes, please seek help.

    There are a ton of issues with not eating including the fact that you will be losing a large amount of muscle as your body will want to retain its fat stores.
  • geekyjock76
    geekyjock76 Posts: 2,720 Member
    Losing muscle is just one of your concerns and I would seek professional help immediately. Maintaining very low caloric intakes which are common with eating disorders can lead to decreased Resting Metabolic Rate, amenorrhea, calcium deficiency, leptin imbalances and very low bone mass density.

    Here is a very interesting research piece done on ballet dancers with eating disorders and the consequence of such behavior:

    Bone Density and Amenorrhea in Ballet Dancers Are Related to a Decreased Resting Metabolic Rate and Lower Leptin Levels

    http://jcem.endojournals.org/content/87/6/2777.full

    Here are a few snippets from the discussion part:

    "We believe that a depressed metabolic state, low bone density, and low leptin levels may all be a manifestation of the same underlying cause, poor nutrition and long-term restricted energy intake, resulting from the high propensity of ballet dancers to diet."

    "The differences in metabolic rate and leptin levels found between those with past amenorrhea and those never having had this problem suggest that long-term dieting may have a more profound effect on metabolic rate than current dietary behavior, as past amenorrhea is strongly associated with dieting behavior."

    "The diet of dancers is also chronically low in calcium (58, 59, 60), but a study with calcium supplements did not normalize bone density (13)."

    "Young women who consistently diet or exist in a calorically deprived state may slow their metabolic rates (23, 27, 28), an alteration that could lead to factors affecting bone metabolism. Metabolic indexes of bone turnover have not been consistently examined in these young women, but a report of ballet dancers with osteopenia showed a decrease in bone turnover (61). In addition, hypothalamic amenorrhea of the type seen in dancers is associated with low leptin levels (17, 62)."
  • AthenaArcher
    AthenaArcher Posts: 41 Member
    I would seek professional help immediately.There is a great documentary about this it is called dying to be thin It explains in detail what you are doing to your body like when you throw up every day that eats all of the enamel off your teeth so they rot away,and if you do not get enough nutrition your bones will have huge holes in them like an old person with osteoporosis so at 20 some of the girls have to use a walker just to get around.This is a good site to check out http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/ you need to get some help ASAP!
  • cartrat
    cartrat Posts: 120 Member
    okay, yes, eating disorders can wreak havoc on your body as people have listed here. but the problem isn't purely physical. in fact, the problem is not your ED; EDs are simply a symptom of a problem either psychological, emotional, traumatic, etc. not trying to generalize you or get to know what your problem is, it's none of my business, but 99% of the time, people who are trying to run away or suppress memories or feelings develop these types of issues. if it's not an ED, it's alcoholism or drug use or whatever. get treatment from a professional for what's really going on inside... for what's really making you bulimic. and then go from there.

    best of luck.
  • Sidesteal
    Sidesteal Posts: 5,510 Member
    Get help immediately.
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
    Get help immediately.
  • KellyAlyssa84
    KellyAlyssa84 Posts: 90
    Please take care of yourself--get help!
  • jillebean60
    jillebean60 Posts: 78 Member
    I say this with much kindness and concern. You have to get help with your eating disorder. Do it now. You'll be glad you did. You're tortured over a basic, necessary bodily function. So sorry :(
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    is it purely psychological and should i seek help?

    Yes, it is and you should.

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