Bulimic, Recovering in Overeaters Anonymous

Azadi
Azadi Posts: 25 Member
edited September 21 in Introduce Yourself
Hi, my name is (not really) Azadi, and I am a recovering bulimic.

I am working on my recovery through the fellowship of Overeaters Anonymous. As of yesterday, I have been "abstinent" from disordered eating for 6 months. I have not purged in 2 years and 4 months. As I am working with my sponsor to ease my plan of eating from a general avoidance of overt food abuse to a more specific plan for healthy eating, I am experimenting with tracking my food and exercise. I do not and will not weigh myself, as that is a number that has nothing to do with my goals... my goal is not to achieve any specific weight, but rather to relate more healthily to food, and to be happy healthy and sane, physically emotionally and spiritually.

I'd love to make some friends in this network who understand and are sympathetic to these goals. I am not on a diet, I am attempting to cultivate awareness, and I can use all the encouragement and support I can get.

Thanks for listening.

One Day At A Time
-A

Replies

  • omarkaviles
    omarkaviles Posts: 2
    Welcome Azadi.

    My name is Omar and Although we are different paths with our weight goals, I do like that you see this has a complete journey with spiritual,emotional, psychically, and remembering that I cannot do this alone and to ask for help to stay sane. It's great you are reaching out and being open minded to this.

    Give time...time
    O
  • DancingYogini
    DancingYogini Posts: 377
    Good for you!! That is really brave to come here and post. You should be so very proud of yourself. Healthy, non-obsessive eating is also my goal. I think you are coming here with a very positive attitude, and I believe that you will be successful!! This is such a caring, supportive place, I know you will find lots of people that have also been on the same journey you have!!

    Welcome :flowerforyou:
  • IrishChik
    IrishChik Posts: 465 Member
    I have never been Bulimic, although I have tried many times. My body just would not let me. So, there was a long period in my life where I was addicted to laxatives in order to purge the food. When I got psychiatric help for my mental disorders (read about that in my profile) we had to deal with that issue too. It has been years, but I know not to keep the stuff in my house.


    I attend OA Meetings online as there are not any close to me. I actually started OA back around 2005 but my commitment did not last long. Now I have figured out that no weight loss program is going to help me. I can follow a program, I can lose the weight. That is not the problem. Food is the problem. I am a food addict, overeater and binge eater. I started back on OA a few days ago to help me with the problems I need help on the most. Overeating.

    One moment at a time. I am now 3 days binge free.
  • kerrymh
    kerrymh Posts: 912 Member
    Great Post, I found OA last spring and for me its been my rock, I'm finally working to figure out how to live life with out coping with food for every little thing, be it happy or sad...I instead can look to spirituality, and fellowship and try to be a better me, and my life has definitely gone from glass is half empty to glass is half full kind of mentality.
  • Azadi
    Azadi Posts: 25 Member
    Congrats on 3 days, IrishChik!

    Laxative abuse is very serious and is, in fact, a form of purging/bulimia. I'm so glad that you got psychological help, because so much of this disease is about psychological and emotional pain. Food abuse is one way that many of us have found to numb that pain temporarily... which everyone does to some extent. After all, the expression "comfort food" originates with normal eating, not disordered eating. But for some of us, it becomes such an addiction that the behaviors turn into self-harm, and continue long after they have ceased to alleviate the pain, and have begun to be an independent cause of pain.

    Kerrymh, I know how you feel! It's taken a lot of work, and I still feel as though I'm still a rank beginner, but I have learned SO MUCH from being in the fellowship, working the steps with my sponsor, hearing wisdom from fellows, friends and strangers alike, learning to be open and trusting... and, yes, learning to turn to my spirituality... indeed *finding* my spirituality in a true sense. Everything in my life looks different now!

    These first six months have had their ups and downs, and though I always knew that it was ultimately helping, the first six months overall SUCKED, since I was stripping away the unhealthy coping mechanisms. Of course, that makesit a little difficult to COPE until you've really internalized some new strategies. As of about a month ago, I really feel as though I've made a fundamental change in my mentality. I pray to God that I can stay there. I pray to God that you do the same. :)
  • Mookz0r
    Mookz0r Posts: 143
    Hi there!

    I've never had an eating disorder but had a bit of an epiphany 10 years ago (gosh, that long already!) when I realised that my choice of food was really quite unhealthy (never junk food, just processed) and made a big change to my diet and consequently, my lifestyle and values.

    I'm currently tracking my food as an awareness exercise and also to get to a BMI of less than 25 after being pregnant (I'm 25.6 or something at the moment, so not much serious dieting needed!).

    Congratulations for your ongoing success!
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