Anorexic to obese..

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Hi. I'm new here and I have come to share my story. So I have pretty much been struggling with an eating disorder, or should I say all 3 of them back and fourth my whole life. More recently however, I have gone from one extreme to another. Back in 2010/2011 I started to lose a drastic amount of weight, getting down to my lowest of 63 lbs. I ended up being hospitalized at 82 because of my chronically dropping potassium problem. Ended up staying in the hell hole for 2 weeks, getting a feeding tube and all sorts of various vitamins, IV and drugs that I had to take everyday. When I got out at 90lbs I had quickly gotten back down to my lowest of 63. Surprisingly, with all the vitamins and potassium supplements I was taking I managed to stay out of the hospital and work a full time job. I ate healthy but small, did a fair amount of walking and really knew how to limit eating junk food. This all lasted until about April 2013 when the eating disorder decided to go the other way. I had started the dreaded binge eating. At first it started off small but got worse and worse, very quickly. Within just 3 months, I had packed on a whopping 40 lbs. Sure that put me at a much healthier weight of being at 100 lbs and still needing a bit more to be at a "healthy weight" but it didn't stop there.

The binging became out of control. I started not to really care and the pounds would continually keep piling on. I was told that this was a "normal thing to occur after being so malnourished" and that the weight gain would stop. But it did not, at all. By December of last year I was nearly 150lbs. I don't know what to do with myself. I am heavier than I ever was now and I seriously am ashamed of myself. Going from a shockingly low weight to near obesity. I am struggling with other mental issues as well with major depression, PTSD, OCD, ADHD, chronic stress and insomnia. I want to so badly change and be thin again. Maybe not as bad as before but to a point where I actually look good. People tell me that I look "healthy" and "look good" but I know that they are lying. There's no way they are being honest about that, I am fat. Not only that, I do have many physical health problems too. I cannot walk up a hill without panting and losing my breath. I have been dealing with a stomach ulcer which has healed although I think it may be making a come back. There's a good possibility that I may be diabetic because of the symptoms I've been having. I know I need to join a gym and follow a strict diet, but everytime I make that promise to myself it just backfires and I end up doing the opposite. I feel absolutely disgusting. I feel ashamed to even leave my house so I stay in my room in isolation. I have asked my family for help and they think I am fine just because I've gained weight, I am not. I cannot afford counseling or a proper psychiatrist as it is much too expensive to pay on my own.

I don't really know where i'm going with this or why i'm even posting this, it's 5 am and I haven't slept a wink. I just want to actually feel motivated to work my way into a better body again, I don't want to feel this way anymore. I cannot let this happen any longer because the weight gain just won't stop. How can I make myself be motivated to start a much healthier life style that will get me in a much better shape and help the pounds melt off, without falling into my destructive, obsessive habits again?

Thanks alot,
Misty.

Replies

  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    You need to go to your doctor - eating disorders are not something that can be fixed on the internet .. please go see your doctor, print this out and show him/her - get back in touch with an ED team and try to beat this illness - because it is an illness
  • PRMinx
    PRMinx Posts: 4,585 Member
    edited December 2014
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    rabbitjb wrote: »
    You need to go to your doctor - eating disorders are not something that can be fixed on the internet .. please go see your doctor, print this out and show him/her - get back in touch with an ED team and try to beat this illness - because it is an illness

    ^This.

    You may find some helpful resources here: nationaleatingdisorders.org/find-help-support
  • mitch16
    mitch16 Posts: 2,113 Member
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    Your candor in stating your issues is a great start, but as the previous posters stated, you need professional help that the mfp community cannot offer. You say that you have some mental issues--are you under the care of a psychiatrist, psychologist, or therapist? If yes, start there; if not, please consider talking to one... You will have a very hard time having a healthy body if you can't get your mind healthy first.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
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    There are almost always community-based therapists who will see you for free. These are almost always people who REALLY care because they care enough to donate their time. Most people just don't do that. If you cannot afford to see a doctor, you can try that.

    150 is probably not as big as you see it. Don't forget that. The "I can't leave the house" stuff - that's not rational, as I'm sure you're aware. That's the ED talking. Every day, take a shower and leave the house.

    You have to have any weight loss supervised. You're a long way from entering the America's Most Sane competition (though probably not as far as you feel), so don't try to tackle that on your own yet. Eat so you don't gain and try to stay on the healthy side (without going bonkers with it), but don't try to lose. Exercise and lift some weights, but limit your time if you feel it's triggering. Don't add Exercise Bulimia to the list of problems.

    All of the stuff you listed is typical for your situation. You have a problem, but are probably not as crazy and "out there" as you might be feeling. It's not time to give up. You're doing okay. You will succeed in the end.

    Go outside.
    Eat well.
    Exercise.
    Find a therapist.

    That's enough for this week!
  • kbanzhaf
    kbanzhaf Posts: 601 Member
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    150 and according to your profile you want to lose 70 pounds? How tall are you? I'm guessing you would be seriously underweight at 80 pounds.

    As the above posters have said.....see your doctor. Are you on your parents health insurance? You should be able to see a counselor based on the insurance payments. Ask your family doctor for assistance finding one who accepts insurance payments. Perhaps check at a local college. Grad students may need to work with people like you for credit in their counseling classes.

    An online forum can make suggestions, but it is up to you to take the advice offered....and as you can see, we are in agreement that you need to discuss this with your doctor, an ED team, and/or a counselor.
  • GingerbreadCandy
    GingerbreadCandy Posts: 403 Member
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    I can only reiterate – go see a doctor or an ED specialist. Unfortunately, none of us here are specialists in the field and even if we were, we could not really do anything unless we saw you.