Bulimia and anxiety correlated?
haniame
Posts: 97 Member
Hi all. I had been clean of my Bulimic habits for more than 2 years now, but recently I have been getting anxiety attacks for days and along with that Bulimic episodes. I don’t know how to control myself. Tbh most of the time i don’t even binge but still find myself purging.
I need someone to help me out of this.
Has anyone felt the same way about the relationship between bulimia and anxiety? If so, please feel free to share your experiences or any advice that would help.
I need someone to help me out of this.
Has anyone felt the same way about the relationship between bulimia and anxiety? If so, please feel free to share your experiences or any advice that would help.
0
Replies
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I think anxiety is a huge contributor to a backslide into disordered habits. I know for me, anxiety is the single greatest thing that makes me inclined to binge. Do you have a professional you can speak to?4
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Hi!
I suffered with bulimia for some of my young adult life. Made worse by a very bad marriage whereby it was the only thing in my control that I clung onto.
What worked for me was distance. I mean mental distance from the anxiety. Turn that 'thing you can control' into something you don't want to do as you know it will hinder another goal.
That new goal for me was to get fitter. I'm still a long way off my goal. May seem 'fit' to some however Fitness is the best goal as you constantly strive for more so you feel better and better about your progress whilst constantly pushing yourself to do even better.
The thought of damaging my body inside and undoing all of my hard work is a no go for me. I also feel better about setting a good example on how to not only be healthy but to work hard for what I want in front of my young son.
I know it's hard, I understand but the damage you could be doing could be irreversible. Try and focus that control into something positive if you can xx4 -
Christine_2017 wrote: »Hi!
I suffered with bulimia for some of my young adult life. Made worse by a very bad marriage whereby it was the only thing in my control that I clung onto.
What worked for me was distance. I mean mental distance from the anxiety. Turn that 'thing you can control' into something you don't want to do as you know it will hinder another goal.
That new goal for me was to get fitter. I'm still a long way off my goal. May seem 'fit' to some however Fitness is the best goal as you constantly strive for more so you feel better and better about your progress whilst constantly pushing yourself to do even better.
The thought of damaging my body inside and undoing all of my hard work is a no go for me. I also feel better about setting a good example on how to not only be healthy but to work hard for what I want in front of my young son.
I know it's hard, I understand but the damage you could be doing could be irreversible. Try and focus that control into something positive if you can xx
oh my god YES! 100% agree with the part of being in control. More than two years ago i felt like my food was the only thing i was in control of and at that time i was in a really bad place and right now i am in a very good place but had a really stressful year.
I’m eating very healthy though, but it’s like when I am having an episode, I just wanna get the food out of my system and then when i am done, like 10 -15 mins later i realize how wrong it is. God0 -
Alatariel75 wrote: »I think anxiety is a huge contributor to a backslide into disordered habits. I know for me, anxiety is the single greatest thing that makes me inclined to binge. Do you have a professional you can speak to?
For me too!!! And no, the last time i was in such a situation i got out of it myself with my willpower, i know i can do it this time too. I’m getting married in 8 weeks and i would feel REALLY EMBARRASSED to go to a therapist at this point0 -
I don't have Bulimia but I'm mostly recovered from Anorexia binge/purge subtype and there definitely is a connection between anxiety and restricting or binging for me. Whenever depression/anxiety hit I go back to old habits. It doesn't help that I have a GI disease (crohn's) that causes pain and nausea when I eat as well as can cause rapid weight loss when flaring. It's a vicious cycle. I get anxious so I fall into the restrict binge cycle which makes me more anxious.0
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Wrong yes, as in it does damage to your body. Intentionally wrong - no. Yes you know you shouldn't be doing it but for factors that feel outside of your control, your rational mind goes out the window. Don't be too hard on yourself, you aren't alone sugar.
Good news is it can be changed. I've not 'purged' in more years than I care to remember now. Only YOU can decide you are worth more than bad skin, irritability, tiredness, bad breath, feeling guilty all the time and generally damaging your organs. You definitely are worth it in my eyes and very brave for posting xx4 -
Alatariel75 wrote: »I think anxiety is a huge contributor to a backslide into disordered habits. I know for me, anxiety is the single greatest thing that makes me inclined to binge. Do you have a professional you can speak to?
For me too!!! And no, the last time i was in such a situation i got out of it myself with my willpower, i know i can do it this time too. I’m getting married in 8 weeks and i would feel REALLY EMBARRASSED to go to a therapist at this point
There's nothing you should be embarrassed about. It's a very serious and emotional thing to go through. On top of that it's extremely hard to go through that. I have depression and anxiety. Depression? Not so much anymore but my anxiety is terrible. I think it also puts a stress on me most "normal" people wouldn't because it does lead to me having a binge. I've had the willpower to stop myself from going absolutely overboard but I have had soda which I swore off a long time ago because I can't control that. I never had bulima or any of that. But I did have a bad case of body dysmorphia and that's a hard thing to overcome. I'm not sure if I have completely overcome it today but all in know in today's society it's much more common for people to have eating disorders and mental disorders because of the unrealistic terms set forth to us by the media/fashion industry/friends/ family/ models.3 -
singingflutelady wrote: »I don't have Bulimia but I'm mostly recovered from Anorexia binge/purge subtype and there definitely is a connection between anxiety and restricting or binging for me. Whenever depression/anxiety hit I go back to old habits. It doesn't help that I have a GI disease (crohn's) that causes pain and nausea when I eat as well as can cause rapid weight loss when flaring. It's a vicious cycle. I get anxious so I fall into the restrict binge cycle which makes me more anxious.
Uh i know what you mean. Sometimes when i have anxiety i feel so nauseated that i can’t eat at all. I hope you feel better0 -
Christine_2017 wrote: »Wrong yes, as in it does damage to your body. Intentionally wrong - no. Yes you know you shouldn't be doing it but for factors that feel outside of your control, your rational mind goes out the window. Don't be too hard on yourself, you aren't alone sugar.
Good news is it can be changed. I've not 'purged' in more years than I care to remember now. Only YOU can decide you are worth more than bad skin, irritability, tiredness, bad breath, feeling guilty all the time and generally damaging your organs. You definitely are worth it in my eyes and very brave for posting xx
Thank you so much for such kind words. Such motivational messages really make me feel strong enough to overcome my ED1 -
rickiimarieee wrote: »Alatariel75 wrote: »I think anxiety is a huge contributor to a backslide into disordered habits. I know for me, anxiety is the single greatest thing that makes me inclined to binge. Do you have a professional you can speak to?
For me too!!! And no, the last time i was in such a situation i got out of it myself with my willpower, i know i can do it this time too. I’m getting married in 8 weeks and i would feel REALLY EMBARRASSED to go to a therapist at this point
There's nothing you should be embarrassed about. It's a very serious and emotional thing to go through. On top of that it's extremely hard to go through that. I have depression and anxiety. Depression? Not so much anymore but my anxiety is terrible. I think it also puts a stress on me most "normal" people wouldn't because it does lead to me having a binge. I've had the willpower to stop myself from going absolutely overboard but I have had soda which I swore off a long time ago because I can't control that. I never had bulima or any of that. But I did have a bad case of body dysmorphia and that's a hard thing to overcome. I'm not sure if I have completely overcome it today but all in know in today's society it's much more common for people to have eating disorders and mental disorders because of the unrealistic terms set forth to us by the media/fashion industry/friends/ family/ models.
I have a serious fear of getting overweight by the time it’s my wedding even though i know that’s impossible because for that to happen I’d have ti gain around 25-30 lbs in the next 8 weeks (GOD FORBID).
Also, what exactly is body dysmorphia?0 -
For me, it is very much related to anxiety. When I get anxious, I tend to b/p. Afterwards, I feel terrible and worry about weight gain, and the cycle repeats.0
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Both concerns are psychiatric in nature.
A psychiatrist can help you work through any link, or seperate issues. You can get a referral through your gp.2 -
Yes, I am in the midst of a relapse myself currently, having been relatively stable, bar a few slips, for decades. I mean, it is always, always there somewhere, but I can generally keep it under control enough so as to not damage my health. I used to be seriously anorexic when 18 ( like 5'11 and 72Ibs severe) and they never treated me, never hospitalised me. I have never had therapy for ED so it has cropped up periodically over the decades since then. A new relationship triggered my current predicament which started with simply losing some weight and has now escalated into regular, daily purging. I am also now underweight so yeah. It is hard. It is so hard to not feel weak and to not feel shame for not being able to just be 'normal', and for me it is a major shame because I had thrown all my focus into just being strong, fit and athletic back here in 2013/2014 and that was a much healthier obsession to have, in the end and bought me more credit than my current situation.
I hope you, as well as those others here still struggling, manage to overcome. It is such a wretched disorder.3 -
Bulemia is classified so an anxiety disorder, so it's totally reasonable that the two would go hand-in-hand.
*edited because autocorrect is s twit0 -
Hi all. I had been clean of my Bulimic habits for more than 2 years now, but recently I have been getting anxiety attacks for days and along with that Bulimic episodes. I don’t know how to control myself.
Absolutely a relationship. I had been in recovery for about 5 years, but at one point I was getting extremely anxious and I started the binge/purge cycles again. It made no sense to me as my original triggers were gone (I had dealt with the control issues and found a happy place in life).
When this started again, I noticed that I was also having panic attacks over the dumbest things (i.e., I can't find my favorite scarf) and finally realized that I had to reach out for help again.
I was diagnosed with GAD (generalized anxiety disorder, and found that my hormones were all screwed up - hypothyroidism, major cycle issues with estrogen and progesterone, etc). Once I started getting treated for my anxiety and hormone issues, both my binge/purge cycles and anxiety have pretty much subsided. I'm not saying I'm 'cured', but I can deal with my anxiety and feelings about food in a more healthy manner...which I couldn't do before because I was so overwhelmed.
Note however, I am older and am probably going through peri-/menopause so this may not generalize.
Advice: Get on top of it now. Try with all your might to not backslide. You know very well (as well as everyone that has had to deal with an ED) that it is very hard to not get obsessed with food/behaviors if they start up again. Reach out, get advice, get support, and realize that when the day is over, you are worth every bit of energy you put into your recovery and new healthy habits you will discover!
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Binging and purging function as tension-reducing behaviors. You don't say whether or not you are also restricting your food intake unduly, but if you are, this practice will contribute to the anxiety (physiological factors involved here in addition to the psychological ones), and coupled with purging behaviors, can be dangerous indeed. Good for you for reaching out, and please reach beyond MFP. You are worth it.0
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Omgg i hear yaemilyroselittle00 wrote: »For me, it is very much related to anxiety. When I get anxious, I tend to b/p. Afterwards, I feel terrible and worry about weight gain, and the cycle repeats.
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Binging and purging function as tension-reducing behaviors. You don't say whether or not you are also restricting your food intake unduly, but if you are, this practice will contribute to the anxiety (physiological factors involved here in addition to the psychological ones), and coupled with purging behaviors, can be dangerous indeed. Good for you for reaching out, and please reach beyond MFP. You are worth it.
Thank you so much. The last time bp-ed was when i created this post. So i guess i am making progress!1 -
Yes, huge correlation. I am on a mild, long term, anti anxiety med that helps immensely!1
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Thank you so much! I keep repeating this to my too that I’m above all this. It is helping a lotHi all. I had been clean of my Bulimic habits for more than 2 years now, but recently I have been getting anxiety attacks for days and along with that Bulimic episodes. I don’t know how to control myself.
Absolutely a relationship. I had been in recovery for about 5 years, but at one point I was getting extremely anxious and I started the binge/purge cycles again. It made no sense to me as my original triggers were gone (I had dealt with the control issues and found a happy place in life).
When this started again, I noticed that I was also having panic attacks over the dumbest things (i.e., I can't find my favorite scarf) and finally realized that I had to reach out for help again.
I was diagnosed with GAD (generalized anxiety disorder, and found that my hormones were all screwed up - hypothyroidism, major cycle issues with estrogen and progesterone, etc). Once I started getting treated for my anxiety and hormone issues, both my binge/purge cycles and anxiety have pretty much subsided. I'm not saying I'm 'cured', but I can deal with my anxiety and feelings about food in a more healthy manner...which I couldn't do before because I was so overwhelmed.
Note however, I am older and am probably going through peri-/menopause so this may not generalize.
Advice: Get on top of it now. Try with all your might to not backslide. You know very well (as well as everyone that has had to deal with an ED) that it is very hard to not get obsessed with food/behaviors if they start up again. Reach out, get advice, get support, and realize that when the day is over, you are worth every bit of energy you put into your recovery and new healthy habits you will discover!
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Graelwyn75 wrote: »Yes, I am in the midst of a relapse myself currently, having been relatively stable, bar a few slips, for decades. I mean, it is always, always there somewhere, but I can generally keep it under control enough so as to not damage my health. I used to be seriously anorexic when 18 ( like 5'11 and 72Ibs severe) and they never treated me, never hospitalised me. I have never had therapy for ED so it has cropped up periodically over the decades since then. A new relationship triggered my current predicament which started with simply losing some weight and has now escalated into regular, daily purging. I am also now underweight so yeah. It is hard. It is so hard to not feel weak and to not feel shame for not being able to just be 'normal', and for me it is a major shame because I had thrown all my focus into just being strong, fit and athletic back here in 2013/2014 and that was a much healthier obsession to have, in the end and bought me more credit than my current situation.
I hope you, as well as those others here still struggling, manage to overcome. It is such a wretched disorder.
I wish you all the strength. Feel better love xx1 -
aggiepringle6665 wrote: »Yes, huge correlation. I am on a mild, long term, anti anxiety med that helps immensely!
I am so scared of being on anti anxiety meds. Probably the only reason that stops me from going to a psychiatrist0 -
Bulimia habits may stop, but the triggers remain. I was an exercise bulimic/anorexic for half of my life. Gave up the purging/starvation in 2011 after a health scare. And yet, when an anxiety wave hit this past summer, guess what I wanted to do?
It was an instant thought and one I handled. But it took a while to convince my brain it was a jerk and I didn't need to purge over a bad day or situation.
There's nothing wrong with you.
You're not a freak.
You're not weak.
You just have triggers.
Focus on getting through each day as it comes.
Meditate.
Talk to people who understand and can support.
And devise a list of redirect options for when you feel the need to purge.3 -
ladychris29 wrote: »Bulimia habits may stop, but the triggers remain. I was an exercise bulimic/anorexic for half of my life. Gave up the purging/starvation in 2011 after a health scare. And yet, when an anxiety wave hit this past summer, guess what I wanted to do?
It was an instant thought and one I handled. But it took a while to convince my brain it was a jerk and I didn't need to purge over a bad day or situation.
There's nothing wrong with you.
You're not a freak.
You're not weak.
You just have triggers.
Focus on getting through each day as it comes.
Meditate.
Talk to people who understand and can support.
And devise a list of redirect options for when you feel the need to purge.
Thanks! I’ll keep that in mind!1 -
This content has been removed.
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aggiepringle6665 wrote: »Yes, huge correlation. I am on a mild, long term, anti anxiety med that helps immensely!
I am so scared of being on anti anxiety meds. Probably the only reason that stops me from going to a psychiatrist
There are many kinds of anti anxiety medications--and even if one does start using one you don't go on a heavy dose of anything right away. When they work, you feel...normal. Just normal.
Remember that anxiety--real long-term anxiety--is a biochemical condition. It's just as much a physical condition as a thyroid condition. Sometimes it's enough to consult a counselor or have a really good support system or meditate...but sometimes it's not.
What specifically are you afraid of about anti-anxiety medication?0 -
kenyonhaff wrote: »aggiepringle6665 wrote: »Yes, huge correlation. I am on a mild, long term, anti anxiety med that helps immensely!
I am so scared of being on anti anxiety meds. Probably the only reason that stops me from going to a psychiatrist
There are many kinds of anti anxiety medications--and even if one does start using one you don't go on a heavy dose of anything right away. When they work, you feel...normal. Just normal.
Remember that anxiety--real long-term anxiety--is a biochemical condition. It's just as much a physical condition as a thyroid condition. Sometimes it's enough to consult a counselor or have a really good support system or meditate...but sometimes it's not.
What specifically are you afraid of about anti-anxiety medication?
Weight gain. I know this may sound pathetic0 -
[
Weight gain. I know this may sound pathetic [/quote]
I’ve lost weight on meds because I no longer binge2 -
rickiimarieee wrote: »Alatariel75 wrote: »I think anxiety is a huge contributor to a backslide into disordered habits. I know for me, anxiety is the single greatest thing that makes me inclined to binge. Do you have a professional you can speak to?
For me too!!! And no, the last time i was in such a situation i got out of it myself with my willpower, i know i can do it this time too. I’m getting married in 8 weeks and i would feel REALLY EMBARRASSED to go to a therapist at this point
There's nothing you should be embarrassed about. It's a very serious and emotional thing to go through. On top of that it's extremely hard to go through that. I have depression and anxiety. Depression? Not so much anymore but my anxiety is terrible. I think it also puts a stress on me most "normal" people wouldn't because it does lead to me having a binge. I've had the willpower to stop myself from going absolutely overboard but I have had soda which I swore off a long time ago because I can't control that. I never had bulima or any of that. But I did have a bad case of body dysmorphia and that's a hard thing to overcome. I'm not sure if I have completely overcome it today but all in know in today's society it's much more common for people to have eating disorders and mental disorders because of the unrealistic terms set forth to us by the media/fashion industry/friends/ family/ models.
I have a serious fear of getting overweight by the time it’s my wedding even though i know that’s impossible because for that to happen I’d have ti gain around 25-30 lbs in the next 8 weeks (GOD FORBID).
Also, what exactly is body dysmorphia?
Body dysmorphia is when you seen yourself different from everyone else. It's basically like if I weighed 100 pounds I look in the mirror and see a 200 pound woman it's hard to explain. But basically your mind plays tricks on you thinking you're skinnier or more fat than you actually are which leads to eating disorders.1 -
kenyonhaff wrote: »aggiepringle6665 wrote: »Yes, huge correlation. I am on a mild, long term, anti anxiety med that helps immensely!
I am so scared of being on anti anxiety meds. Probably the only reason that stops me from going to a psychiatrist
There are many kinds of anti anxiety medications--and even if one does start using one you don't go on a heavy dose of anything right away. When they work, you feel...normal. Just normal.
Remember that anxiety--real long-term anxiety--is a biochemical condition. It's just as much a physical condition as a thyroid condition. Sometimes it's enough to consult a counselor or have a really good support system or meditate...but sometimes it's not.
What specifically are you afraid of about anti-anxiety medication?
Weight gain. I know this may sound pathetic
Fearing weight gain isn't pathetic. A lot of times the doctor will start you on a low does of a daily SSRI. There are a ton of different ones and a lot of times they actually cause a decrease in appetite the first month or two. It's trial and error and you'll know when one isn't working for you and when one is. I started on Zoloft and I knew it wasn't working because I almost was feeling more depressed and anxious and just all around felt crappy and had negative mood changes . That's a main sign it's not the right one for you. I'm on Celexa now and it's made a huge difference, because it works for my body. You may also be prescribed a beta blocker and/or a benzodiazepine depending on how frequent and intense your anxiety is. Find a psychiatrist or mental health nurse practitioner that you feel 100% comfortable and trust worthy in and it will be so helpful I promise. It's all trial and error, but in the end totally worth it. I was lucky that my therapist and psychiatrist were in the same office/practice so they were able to collaborate together in finding the things that work for me based on my triggers and anxiety. Good luck! You'll be able to beat this, you just may need some extra help from a professional which is always okay
1
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