Eating disorder survivors?

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Get_Me_Fit1
Get_Me_Fit1 Posts: 194
in Health and Weight Loss
A friend of mine is going through a rough patch, and i want to show her everyone who has survived to prove to her that there is a way out of it x

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  • LeCitron
    LeCitron Posts: 71
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    *Raises hand*

    From ages 15-16, I was anorexic. Got down to 98 pounds (I'm 5'6") and was almost hospitalized. I went to a therapist, a doctor, and a nutritionist every single week.

    Now I'm 23, healthy, fit, and relatively happy. I still struggle with food sometimes, but I'm closer to normal than I've ever been. I'm also able to look back on my eating disorder (and subsequent disordered eating) as a life experience and something I can learn from.

    Good for you to be looking out for your friend. She's lucky to have someone like you.
  • geekyjock76
    geekyjock76 Posts: 2,720 Member
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    There are quite a few here who post.

    The important thing is for someone to seek help immediately - while they can rationalize their behavior - because the longer one waits, the higher the chance of mortality. The National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders reported that 5 - 10% of anorexics die within 10 years after contracting the disease; 18-20% of anorexics will be dead after 20 years and only 30 - 40% ever fully recover. About 20% of anorexics, for example die prematurely due to complications of the heart or suicide. It's a very scary illness.
  • Get_Me_Fit1
    Get_Me_Fit1 Posts: 194
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    Thanks @Citron <3
  • brittuhnay
    brittuhnay Posts: 350 Member
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    I finally recovered from anorexia when I was around 16, I'm 20 now.

    I was anorexic since I was 11. I danced around 92-115 pounds throughout those years, and went through many recoveries and relapses before I finally fought through it and got to where I am.

    I was hospitalized once, only for a few days, basically because I was very good at lying.

    There is a way out. It's a process, and relapse is a very strong possibility- but what your friend needs to remember is that she should never give up hope. I actually am trying to lose weight, again, haha, because I peaked around 140 this year. (Of course I'm doing it a healthier, safer way!) It's still hard for me to achieve my minimum of 1200 a day, but it's better than the 200-500 I would eat.

    Just be there for your friend (like you clearly are already, which is so awesome) and support her. Anorexics won't believe a single thing you say about their weight or body- that's something I honestly believe only intensive therapy can fix. But just to have somebody always there makes a world of a difference.
  • fuzzysham
    fuzzysham Posts: 75 Member
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    Yeah, heres my story
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/745882-eating-disorder-recovery-it-is-possible-my-story

    :)
  • shorty35565
    shorty35565 Posts: 1,425 Member
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    I'm *trying* to recover. She will get thru it tho, we both will
  • LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo
    LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo Posts: 3,634 Member
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    I had EDNOS that leans towards anorexia when I was a teenager. Everything weren't easy for me and in fact, no one in my family knows that I had it. I remember during that time where I only ate 150-300 calories a day plus diet pills with some shot of opium (an illegal drug) & I felt extremely weak, low energy and got hospitalized many times. I was able to 'hide' it well from my family because despite all of that, I never got to the point that I became skin & bones (hence the term EDNOS).

    All had changed when I started to work & from there, I find that I couldn't do well on my job because of low energy so I had to change my eating habits although it wasn't easy. I'm now 33 and successfully reached my goal the healthy way & I've been maintaining for over a year now. However I admit that there are times that the past still haunts me.
  • Kelseyyyy22
    Kelseyyyy22 Posts: 46 Member
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    I'm a nearly-recovered college student--I say nearly because eating normally is still a conscious choice rather than just "normal" for me. It can be done!
  • slkehl
    slkehl Posts: 3,801 Member
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    Back in middle school, I got down to 88 lbs at 5'4". Strangely, no one ever talked to me about it. I was simply told to eat more, and out of the crazy need to please that fueled the anorexia, I did. I was scared of what my parents might do if I didn't eat.

    But seriously, what parent wouldn't talk to their anorexic kid and figure out what was going on inside their head?
  • Love_flowers
    Love_flowers Posts: 365 Member
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    When I was 17 my life was so stressfull and I felt like i was choking, that I had no control. So albeit subconciously, I started to starve myself. I ate food everyday but only very little. Thankfully it did not get out of hand. However, between 18-20yrs I was suffering from bingeeating disorder without purging but usually followed by restricting etc which led right back to binging, long story. I am 21 now and have almost fully recovered on my own. :)
  • SkyPixie
    SkyPixie Posts: 224
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    I survived but I needed professional help in the end as the reasons behind my anorexia were complex and nothing to do with how I looked I just didn't want to exist :frown:

    At my lowest I weighed 77 pounds (I'm 5ft2 and I dropped to that from around 195 in around 6 months) and 15 years on I am well recovered but I still have to make a conscious effort not to use starving as a way to cope with life's problems.

    As others have said your friend really should have professional help as its an enormous thing to try fight on your own.

    Sending big hugs to you both x
  • Get_Me_Fit1
    Get_Me_Fit1 Posts: 194
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    Wow thank you all so much. She us getting better, and I will definitely showi this to get <3 much love and congrats to all you beautiesxx
  • NocturnalGirl
    NocturnalGirl Posts: 1,762
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    I'm on the process of recovery.

    Found this transformation of a recovered bulimic: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/transf92b.htm
  • SuperstarDJ
    SuperstarDJ Posts: 440 Member
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    I have had anorexia for over 20 years, but I have had a 5 year period (roughly) of recovery, only to relapse again a year or two ago :(

    Tell her that I am literally begging her here to reach out for help because the longer it goes on, the harder it is to recover (I feel anyway) and the more horrible, life-long medical consequences she will have. It also leaves you terribly isolated and alone in the end. It just gets harder and harder to live with and the initial 'highs' I used to get from it are long gone and all that you are left with is this terrifying, slave-driver monster in your head which screams at you constantly, and nothing you do, no amount of weight you lose, exercise you do or ANYTHING you do is EVER good enough.

    I really hope she gets the help she needs and deserves.

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