I will admit I am really struggling

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Owlibee
Owlibee Posts: 138 Member
in Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
Okay I have tried to ignore what has been happening past few days but it feels like my Eating Disorder is creeping back.

My anxiety levels have been shooting through the roof which makes it very difficult to eat. Because I am not eating well I am tired all the time and have no energy (get dizzy just washing pots).

My anxiety makes me feel nausea and like my throat is closing up so eating has been so difficult past 2 days.

At the moment All I can manage is bran flakes for breakfast , crackers spread with peanut butter and nutella for lunch and a cooked tea (roast chicken and potatoes ect )

My weight is stable at the moment but I am so tired from lack of sleep and with my body being at a constant state of anxiety it saps my energy levels. If I eat anything that is not bland it aggravates my stomach which does not help because bland foods tend to be low in calories.

Can anyone suggest anyway to help me feel more relaxed about eating again?

(p.s When I went to doctors/therapist they found nothing wrong with me medically, so its all just in my head)
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Replies

  • grimendale
    grimendale Posts: 2,153 Member
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    Maybe find a therapist that specializes in anxiety? Other than that, my completely non-professional advice would be something like yoga or meditation that can help you learn to calm down and get out of your head. I personally find that exercising (particuarly running or insanity) help me burn off my anxiety and zone out. I like yoga too, but I find that higher intensity cardio works better at clearing my head.
  • Paizzaz
    Paizzaz Posts: 33
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    I stumbled on your post a few days ago where you were asking if you looked too skinny. I was somewhat concerned, especially after reading further and getting confirmation that you are in fact recovering from an eating disorder. I suffered with anorexia as a teen and relapsed once as a young adult so I was worried if people didn't say you looked too skinny you would begin to worry that it must mean you look fat. Body dysmorphia is something I still struggle with so I understand how difficult the process of getting healthy again can be. It's scary, it feels like you're losing control but he truth is actually the opposite. Stay strong, take control of your health, you can do this.
  • kamelew
    kamelew Posts: 10 Member
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    What about smoothies! it sounds as if you are eating heavy foods. You can pack a lot of nutrition (and calories) into an easy to drink- calm on your stomach smoothie.

    Have you checked with a good endocrinologist? I have a family member who felt anxious all of the time, lost weight and felt too nauseous to eat and was really dizzy- and it turned out to be an overactive thyroid. Oh and a special smoothie is what the doctor ordered to help gain weight comfortably ( as well as surgery /meds )
  • wonderwoman234
    wonderwoman234 Posts: 551 Member
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    I used to have panic attacks and anxiety (along with body dysmorphia and eating issues). Therapy REALLY helped me a lot. The work we did centered around self-compassion and reframing my perfectionistic way of thinking. Once I learned to trust myself my anxiety and panic attacks totally disappeared. Changing the way you view the world and yourself takes time, though. I would find a therapist who is a Psychologist (PhD in psychology) instead of someone with just a MSW (or something similar). Psychologists have more training and education and in my opinion are higher caliber mental health professionals. It's really hard to recover long term on your own. Good luck to you!
  • tryingharder123
    tryingharder123 Posts: 17 Member
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    Let me say it's not all in your head, if your restricting at all you can very well have symptoms, anxiety being a symptom of a starved brain! did you know that you dont have to be underweight to be starved? i know its a vicious cycle, anxiety loss of appetite, less food intake, more anxiety from the lack of food (your brain is like "feed me damnit" ) more lack of appetite from the stress of the anxiety.. less food intake .even MORE anxiety. rinse and repeat. right now it sounds like you need to get in some calories, work with a doc and dietitian if you can.. as im sure your aware of refeeding syndrome if you caloric intake was lower then 1000. Some ideas if your over the 1000 calorie intake, would be ice cream with pb, crackers with string cheese, milk and 1/2 a pb sandwich, fruits with yogurt or nut butter, nuts!, eggs, cottage cheese and fruit, butter or any nut butter on toast, sunflower seed kernals added to everything. i can relate as im struggling to get up past 2100 and i was told i need at LEAST 2400 for repairs. Keep your head up you will get there, and keep in touch with a psychologist to help you work through food fears, a doc to help monitor your health, and a dietitian to help you get some foods back into your daily intake and meal plans if your someone who finds those easier to follow
  • Fatandfifty3
    Fatandfifty3 Posts: 419 Member
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    it's time for you to see someone about your issues. you are feeding them on here talking to random strangers about your health issues. I have read your posts recently asking for support and advice on gaining weight whist displaying photographs of a perfectly healthy body.
    We cannot sort this for you. You need the help of someone qualified to talk to you and help you.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
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    it's time for you to see someone about your issues. you are feeding them on here talking to random strangers about your health issues. I have read your posts recently asking for support and advice on gaining weight whist displaying photographs of a perfectly healthy body.
    We cannot sort this for you. You need the help of someone qualified to talk to you and help you.
    I wholeheartedly agree.
  • Owlibee
    Owlibee Posts: 138 Member
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    it's time for you to see someone about your issues. you are feeding them on here talking to random strangers about your health issues. I have read your posts recently asking for support and advice on gaining weight whist displaying photographs of a perfectly healthy body.
    We cannot sort this for you. You need the help of someone qualified to talk to you and help you.
    I wholeheartedly agree.

    Please read properly. I have noted in all my posts I am seeing a therapist. Just because I am mentally unwell in your eyes does not mean I cannot talk to people on here. I was not aware you had to be perfect to ask for advice ....
  • Owlibee
    Owlibee Posts: 138 Member
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    Let me say it's not all in your head, if your restricting at all you can very well have symptoms, anxiety being a symptom of a starved brain! did you know that you dont have to be underweight to be starved? i know its a vicious cycle, anxiety loss of appetite, less food intake, more anxiety from the lack of food (your brain is like "feed me damnit" ) more lack of appetite from the stress of the anxiety.. less food intake .even MORE anxiety. rinse and repeat. right now it sounds like you need to get in some calories, work with a doc and dietitian if you can.. as im sure your aware of refeeding syndrome if you caloric intake was lower then 1000. Some ideas if your over the 1000 calorie intake, would be ice cream with pb, crackers with string cheese, milk and 1/2 a pb sandwich, fruits with yogurt or nut butter, nuts!, eggs, cottage cheese and fruit, butter or any nut butter on toast, sunflower seed kernals added to everything. i can relate as im struggling to get up past 2100 and i was told i need at LEAST 2400 for repairs. Keep your head up you will get there, and keep in touch with a psychologist to help you work through food fears, a doc to help monitor your health, and a dietitian to help you get some foods back into your daily intake and meal plans if your someone who finds those easier to follow

    Thank you for actually reading my post and giving me advice on foods to add to my diet
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
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    it's time for you to see someone about your issues. you are feeding them on here talking to random strangers about your health issues. I have read your posts recently asking for support and advice on gaining weight whist displaying photographs of a perfectly healthy body.
    We cannot sort this for you. You need the help of someone qualified to talk to you and help you.
    I wholeheartedly agree.

    Please read properly. I have noted in all my posts I am seeing a therapist. Just because I am mentally unwell in your eyes does not mean I cannot talk to people on here. I was not aware you had to be perfect to ask for advice ....
    Best of luck on your journey.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    it's time for you to see someone about your issues. you are feeding them on here talking to random strangers about your health issues. I have read your posts recently asking for support and advice on gaining weight whist displaying photographs of a perfectly healthy body.
    We cannot sort this for you. You need the help of someone qualified to talk to you and help you.
    I wholeheartedly agree.

    Please read properly. I have noted in all my posts I am seeing a therapist. Just because I am mentally unwell in your eyes does not mean I cannot talk to people on here. I was not aware you had to be perfect to ask for advice ....

    What has your therapist said about the anxiety and not being able to eat much?
  • zoeysasha37
    zoeysasha37 Posts: 7,088 Member
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    it's time for you to see someone about your issues. you are feeding them on here talking to random strangers about your health issues. I have read your posts recently asking for support and advice on gaining weight whist displaying photographs of a perfectly healthy body.
    We cannot sort this for you. You need the help of someone qualified to talk to you and help you.

    This!!!!
    Please seek further help for your issues. I know you said you've seen a doctor and therapist, but IMO you may need more help then what you are currently receiving. Your expecting strangers online to help you fix problems, and that's not always the best choice
  • OuiserBoudreaux
    OuiserBoudreaux Posts: 1
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    Hang in there kiddo! And BS to the thought that "talking to strangers" won't help ... we struggle not only with calorie issues but more importantly ways to better our COPING SKILLS. If this is a way of helping you cope, write your heart out ... we're listening! ... and empathizing! ... and truly care about your personal struggle back to health!!
  • Graelwyn75
    Graelwyn75 Posts: 4,404 Member
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    I can relate to the anxiety as I used to suffer back to back panic attacks, with almost constant anxiety between them. I became scared to eat as the anxiety made it hard to swallow and I was afraid I would choke. I am not sure how I got rid of the panic attacks etc. They disappeared when I left a stressful relationship I was in, and when I got treated for the underactive thyroid I was diagnosed with soon after. I also used distraction, watching films or tv series that made me feel comforted, as an example, or talking to people online, in messenger programmes. It goes without saying to avoid caffeine if you have it, and too much refined sugar.

    Also, maybe look into mindfulness and meditation. I am told yoga is good for this sort of issue, though I have thus far not tried it myself.
    And diet is very important, as in, getting a balance of nutrients, Mashed potato with butter is a good, simple food that is easy to get down. Short of that, I do think it might be a good idea to seek more help, or maybe see if you can find any books you can use to help yourself, CBT would be a good place to start. There are a lot of books that you can use yourself on Amazon if you prefer to look at the techniques yourself.
  • elisa123gal
    elisa123gal Posts: 4,306 Member
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    Here…read this link.. it may help you out. http://www.calmclinic.com/anxiety/how-to-overcome
  • sljohnson1207
    sljohnson1207 Posts: 818 Member
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    It's a long shot, but try adding a magnesium supplement to your daily routine. I know you said you've been checked by a doctor, but your magnesium may be too low for you. If you can find one with Vitamin D in it, even better.

    Also, try some yoga or meditations. Great for calming anxiety.

    If none of these things works, you may need to ask your mental health professional for a prescription to help calm the anxieties.
  • erinknurse1
    erinknurse1 Posts: 40
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    Have you looked at your other stress triggers? Maybe going to a high nutrient liquid diet (i.e. green smoothies) would be easier going down and not cause as much anxiety. Also you might try adding a little protein to your chicken and potato tea. Unjury makes a cream of chicken protein powder that is very satisfying. That is what I use for protein when I am sick or nauseated. Just a suggestion.:flowerforyou:
  • RHachicho
    RHachicho Posts: 1,115 Member
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    Try something time consuming and relaxing. I don't quite have the same condition as you but I suffer from Bipolar syndrome. Which de facto means I get wild mood swings of extreme depression anxiety and irritation. Sometimes all at once hehe yeah those where fun. Hours huddled up in the corner off the room weeping and feeling like death was breathing down my neck and impotently angry at the universe for letting me be like this. In truth since losing weight and getting in shape I don't get them often. And since a certain personal event happened that rather changed my paradigm towards life in general happened now it's only once in a blue moon and I never get a mixed espisode. But I will let you know the two activities I did that always helped.

    1. Get an mp3 player and put on beautiful soothing and relaxing music and walk. Just walk. For an hour at least if u can. Two is great. If you can walk among sun and nature that is even better.

    2. Meditate, put on some relaxing music. Take a good pose and spend an hour with your thoughts.

    I know it sounds trite but so often anxiety creeps up on us because we never take the time to just step back and SORT *kitten* OUT in our heads. Sometimes all something that's bugging us really requires is that we give it it's time to work it's way out. Like a splinter. Even if you have no truck with the spiritual aspects of meditation. The therapeutic effects have long been proven.
  • dopeysmelly
    dopeysmelly Posts: 1,390 Member
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    Try something time consuming and relaxing. I don't quite have the same condition as you but I suffer from Bipolar syndrome. Which de facto means I get wild mood swings of extreme depression anxiety and irritation. Sometimes all at once hehe yeah those where fun. Hours huddled up in the corner off the room weeping and feeling like death was breathing down my neck and impotently angry at the universe for letting me be like this. In truth since losing weight and getting in shape I don't get them often. And since a certain personal event happened that rather changed my paradigm towards life in general happened now it's only once in a blue moon and I never get a mixed espisode. But I will let you know the two activities I did that always helped.

    1. Get an mp3 player and put on beautiful soothing and relaxing music and walk. Just walk. For an hour at least if u can. Two is great. If you can walk among sun and nature that is even better.

    2. Meditate, put on some relaxing music. Take a good pose and spend an hour with your thoughts.

    I know it sounds trite but so often anxiety creeps up on us because we never take the time to just step back and SORT *kitten* OUT in our heads. Sometimes all something that's bugging us really requires is that we give it it's time to work it's way out. Like a splinter. Even if you have no truck with the spiritual aspects of meditation. The therapeutic effects have long been proven.

    ^^This. I haven't experienced anything as frustratingly debilitating as you, but I recommend the benefits of a stroll outside, just for the feeling of being outside in nature, surrounded by a world, plants, animals, trees, which is much bigger than your own problems. It helped me a lot when I was suffering from depression in a foreign country. I would also stress it's not exercise for the body per se, but for the soul, so there's no focus on performance, or burning anything.

    Also, I notice you say you are tired. Have you tried to tackle this? No one's body works well when it's tired a lot, and it's something that your medical team can probably advise you about.
  • zac775
    zac775 Posts: 199 Member
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    Hi ya, you dont have to tell me but what is your daily average calorie intake?

    I know there is an underlying problem, with all this but starting with the basics might help, and you are not short of support on here.

    Do you have an idea what your tiggers are to your stress? As combating them is a great start.

    If I can help I will even if it is just to chat or disscuss an item.

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