Depression And Eating Disorders!

[Guest Jeanie]

The title may seem like a fact file, however it is not. I am having parental problems for the past 6 years (Since they divorced and kerry was brought into my dads life) I believe I have depression, although I'm not 100% sure. It has been effecting my eating since 4 years ago, never use to before that.

I have never been a fan of eating breakfast, don't know if its related to an eating disorder or not, but 4 years ago, I started getting picked on, I got rid of lunch, so I only had tea for the rest of that year. I use to sit in my class and do nothing what so ever, just think about stuff in my head. One year later, I was in year 7, first year of secondary school, I started eating, like 5 bacon sandwhiches a day for lunch, tea was normal, and I nibbled left overs though never had breakfast, year 8, Half the year I was eating like year 7, but I stopped lunch then, no apparent reason just didn't feel too good eating it. And that dropped my weight dramatically. Year 9, I had moved away from england to the isle of man, ate no lunch as I thought I was fat, and still do. I ate sandwhiches at lunch after my dad forcing me, but I soon went off them. Now, in year 10, I'm having one meal, I am refusing to eat anything my dad cooks, I do not want to eat anything. I am feeling slightly weak at the moment, Was sick and dizzy yesterday but I had like chip sandwhich, 2 of them. filled me up, couldn't finish it off. I looked like I was about to cry...I did not like eating that, I wanted to throw it up but I was round my girlfriends and so I didn't want to make the place a mess because of my sick. I'm too fat for my liking. If i go to my mums whos in england I eat way over 2500 calories, I eat like 8000, I just eat eat and eat, probery because I'm not being tampered by my parents or school and I'm just happier. And being here, is the opposite. I, today, Havn't aten a thing, and I think I'm only gonig to eat 4 slices of bread and butter and thats it for the day.

I do not know if depression is the result of the eating disorder, but I think it is. I do not know if I have an eating disorder, if so, what one?

My 12 year old friend reckoned that I have EDNOS I agree, as I have thoughts of all kinds, "not eating" "being fat" "wanted to eat and not care if i get fat" "throwing food up" etc etc.

If you know what it is, and how to help then please tell me =]

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That friend I have, she has an eating disorder, she only has 500 callories a day, sometimes less if she eats more she throws it up, she doesn't want to get fat, I tell her that she's lovely as she is and that Her true friends wouldn't care if she was fat, and when she eats more than 500 she gets a voice saying her dad hates her because she's just eating enough to become fat. I'm trying to get her to eat a bit more each day, its difficult, I tell her that her dad will not hate her if shes fat. Because he wont, (He's dead you see)

[Guest Rachel-Lucy]

Depression and Eating Disorders are linked but not all depression causes eating disorders. When I went anorexic I was depressed and I had no control over my life but that was the only thing I had control of and so that made me feel better because finally i had control over something. It's very confusing but there are other eating disorders such as compulsive over eating and bulimia. My mom suffers from both depression and compulsive over eating and were supporting each other through both our depression and eating disorders Yeah I have thoughts like I am fat all the time and starving myself but I have learnt not to act on them as its not healthy and I have health problems such as asthma and stomach acid. Stomach acid is pretty painful at times but I have to deal with it. my mother also has the same stomach problems but unlucky for me mine is worse. Depression and eating disorders pretty much intertwine with each other but I wouldn't say its the same for everyone.

[Guest Huff]

Hey craziness around food sucks. It's not whether you're anorexic or bulimic or EDNOS... it's about the time and energy you spend thinking about food/weight and acting out/punishing yourself with it. More than that, it's not even really about the food. The food and all it's associated craziness is a very well-developed coping mechanism for life. What I needed to do to break out of the cycle was 1. find a really good therapist that could teach me life skills and develop more realistic belief systems and 2. get involved in a support group where people have the same kind of eating coping mechanisms (I went to OA) and 3. face my core issues straight on (trangender and perfectionistic/super high anxiety personality).

The craziness CAN stop. You probably can't make it stop on your own, so be bold and reach out.

MK

[Guest Jeanie]

Yeah, I guess so. I don't know what to do, I got put on my first dose of Fluoxetine today. It was going to be within 14 days, but me and my parents would not leave the clinic until I got them, my parents and even me were afraid that I'll end up drowning in a pool of my own blood very shortly, I however got put on them today due to suicide thoughts and due to the fact my girlfriend is leaving the island on the 21st of june, however the last time I will see her is proberly this saturday... unfortunately. This has had a dramatic impact on my education, eating, well my health in a whole. I just don't know what to do, Fluoxetine does cause irritation for some time, I have already felt it and its doing my head in. I don't want to take them, I can't literally do this anymore. I've given up eating, I'm screwing up my education, I'm running out of lessons crying .. It hurt to take my first capsul today, It's just too much to deal with. If my girlfriend was to stay or I was to go across to England near her even though I'd be an hour away better than a different country then I'd eat, take the Fluox.. but as I'm on probation due to being psycho with knives in public I can't move across until december and then I might aswell finish my GCSE's, I proberly wont even see her until then either. It's torn me apart so hard I can't live like this, I want to get better .. but I can't do it without her being here. She's always mentally here but not physical and this tears me to peices.

[Guest raydub]

Hey Jeanie

im sorry to hear that things are going to rough. youve got to try and hang in there and take care of yourself. if you dont take care of you, then there wont be a you to BE with your girl..ya know? ive gotta go with MK too...reach out for help and maybe join a group of some kind. the therapeutic value of one helping another is without parallel.

take care ok?

Ray

[Guest Huff]

Jeanie,

Doing any better?

Here's one of the greatest revelations of my early recovery: your brain is lying to you.

That's the benefit of good therapy and/or support groups... you can re-educate your brain to a much less destructive reality, but it takes an awful lot of work and willingness.

MK

[Guest Jeanie]

Jeanie,

Doing any better?

Here's one of the greatest revelations of my early recovery: your brain is lying to you.

That's the benefit of good therapy and/or support groups... you can re-educate your brain to a much less destructive reality, but it takes an awful lot of work and willingness.

MK

How would you suggest to do this? I'm not doing any better but I've been put on Lerazipan for emergencys whilst the Fluoxetine kicks in. So hopefully I'll be getting better and holding on something soon. Must keep positive

[Guest Huff]

How would you suggest to do this? I'm not doing any better but I've been put on Lerazipan for emergencys whilst the Fluoxetine kicks in. So hopefully I'll be getting better and holding on something soon. Must keep positive

Antidepressant medications have never worked for me. I do know that they've been helpful to varying degrees for others. In fact, I know of at least a couple of people for whom it really is the 'critical piece' in balancing their brain chemistry for thier long term mental health.

To answer your question as to how to 're-educate your brain', though, I'll give you two answers... one academic ('cause I just can't resist) and one pragmatic.

Academic answer:

Almost all (if not all) the literature suggests that the best prognosis for recovery includes a combination of anti-depressants (usually an SSRI like flouxitine) and therapy. Generally, this therapy is 'cognitive-behavioral therapy' conducted one-on-one with therapist or counselor (hopefully one who is specialized in eating disorders and related co-morbidities). Some folks that have eating disorders actually have more serious underlying problem, and the eating disorder is actually a symptom of it. In American DSM-IVTR it's called 'Borderline Personality Disorder', and in the ICD-10 it's called 'Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder'. A more specific form of cognitive behavioral therapy was designed especially for these folks called 'Dialectical Behavioral Therapy' (DBT) and it addresses building skills like distress tolerance and emotional regulation, generally in a group context. Even if you're not 'borderline', I'd recommend DBT - I did it and it was really amazing some of the skills I learned.

Support groups have also been shown to be useful. There are a few reasons for this. First, you get to see that you are not alone or uniquely 'bad'. Second, you get feedback on your thoughts and emotions and experiences from a variety of people, so that you can get a clearer picture of the spectrum of 'normal' or 'healthy'. Third, you grow by first learning to accept support and then learning to give to support to others.

Pragmatic answer:

1. flouxitine alone is RARELY enough to treat a long-standing eating disorder, so don't delude yourself that it's JUST brain chemistry, if you're having suicidal ideation like you say you are, then you need to take further action... quickly.

2. Get a good cognitive-behavioral therapist and be HONEST with them

3. Find an appropriate support group and LISTEN to them - your therapist can help you identify one

4. once you and your therapist figure out some of your core maladaptive thinking (like perfectionim or people pleasing or whatever), read recovery literature to start putting 'realistic ideas' in your head - your therapist might have some ideas, but you can even just look on amazon.com for related stuff.

5. do SOMETHING every day that makes you feel 'connected' or in harmony with the universe - yoga, prayer, jogging, deep breathing, painting, playing music, etc, etc, ad infinitum.

6. talk to people around you about your thoughts and feelings and LISTEN to what they have to say about their own experiences with depression or their suggestions/advice. If they give an optimistic answer, maybe it is an optimistic situation. Entertain the notion a little. Just complaining reinforces the negative thinking... considering feedback opens up different thought patterns.

7. celebrate the small victories, even if they're really small and only fleeting, they count!

Well, hopefully that made sense. Action, action, action. Here's a hint: If you feel afraid to take action on any of the 7 steps above, it's your brain lying to you again. I promise.

take care.

MK