eating
Dispel judgement, debunk the myths and correct the misconceptions you hold about eating disorders.
My History with Food
From Childhood to Childbirth I have always had a tenuous relationship with food. Honestly, as long as I can remember food was one of my biggest sources of anxiety. Many adults have dependent and abusive relationships with food, but mine started way back when I was a kid. I remember going to school as a 5th grader with beautiful packed lunches containing leftovers from my favorite dinners and healthy snacks and delicious treats. And while these were all things that I loved in the safety of my own home, it only took one kid pointing at my tortellini salad, with avocados whose color had changed ever so slightly brownish in the fridge overnight and saying, "What is THAT?! It smells like poo," for me to start "forgetting" my lunches at home. For me to start coveting the lunches all the other kids brought with wonder-bread sandwiches of bologna and American cheese (you know-how kind that comes plastic wrapped in separate slices) and their fruit gushers and Oreos. I even yearned at tines to be "normal" enough to get to eat the cardboard pizza and canned fruit from the cafeteria. Because when you are nine all that you really want is to be the same as the kids around you. Now, as an adult I am so thankful for leftovers from dinner for lunch and healthy snacks to get me through the day and I'm so thankful that some of my mom's message was able to make it through the cloud of little kid nastiness. But my nine year old daughter, she wants to take sandwiches to school in her lunch everyday. She wants chips and fruit roll ups and the piece of fruit that I make her take always come back home with her. And while I would rather she take the leftover tamales (one of her favorite foods) or a thermos of soup that she loved last night, I never want her to come home starving and cranky because she refused to eat her food in front of her friends because someone teased her about her weird looking food.
By Allie Shawe7 years ago in Psyche
Words Will Never Hurt Me?
Remember that little saying growing up, "Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me?" We all use to say it as a way to comfort ourselves from bullies. It was a way of saying "Haha! Do you really think that hurt my feelings?" Somewhere, deep down, I think it truly did help some of us.
By Alyssa Holley7 years ago in Psyche
Eating Disorders
Eating Disorders – What can be done? Eating disorders are, for the sufferer, painful and isolating. They can make an individual feel miserable in their own skin, lower their self-confidence, and make them believe that there is something wrong with them. According to BeatEatingDisorders.com, eating disorders effect around 1.25 million people in the UK alone, and the numbers are rising. Can anything be done? The best way to begin to solve a serious problem, is to understand it and how it effects victims individually, who is at risk, and finally how to support and help the people suffering.
By Renee Quailey7 years ago in Psyche
The Power of Words
Growing up, I was a team player, a go-getter, a competitive little kid, with dreams and ambitions. I didn’t care about my weight, nor did I grasp the concept of “fat” or “skinny.” I just simply lived every day and ate what was fed to me. After I hit puberty, I began to eat what I wanted, when I wanted without caring about anything. In grade ten I realized that I was “thicker.” I would get attention for my “huge assets, ” and it made me feel super uncomfortable. I remember getting called by nicknames. I wouldn’t consider it bullying, to them, it was for a good laugh, and trust me… to anyone else, it would be a good laugh too. I used to laugh it off. I used to pretend that I thought it was hilarious. But to me, it was much worse than a nickname or a joke. Those comments haunt me everywhere I go, and especially every time I try and eat something. A few years ago someone told me I looked “so thick” in jeans. I didn’t wear jeans for two years after that, and to this day it takes me a tremendous amount of courage to wear them. Those names and words would pop up in my head, and it left me hating my body, and everything about it. It led me down an unhealthy path, and one I am still struggling with today. I used to see how long I could go without eating, I'd even vomit up the artificial expectations people had for me. I believe everything happens for a reason and you face things because you’re able to get through it.
By Brittany Rose7 years ago in Psyche
10 Symptoms Nobody Told You About Eating Disorders
With eating disorders, there are a few symptoms and actions that are talked about quite frequently, such as weight loss, purging, and food restriction. However, there are many more habits and symptoms that aren’t so commonly discussed which may lead to sufferers feeling alone and that they are dealing with something no one else is.
By Mina LeAnn7 years ago in Psyche
My Fight with Anorexia
One of my least favorite childhood memories took place in middle school (I believe I had just reached the tail end of the 6th grade) during gym class. An interesting thing about my middle school was the fact that students were required to take physical education and health each year without fail. This was my first time taking a gym class with people I did not necessarily grow up with and that put me on high alert and made me instantly feel a sense of anxiety.
By Deborah Trower-Reid7 years ago in Psyche
Woman vs. Food
"If you're going through Hell, keep going" —Winston Churchill My Story There are many reasons why someone could develop an eating disorder (or ED for short). They could fill books with all the reasons, situations, and psychology behind them. (Actually… I’m pretty sure they have… ). And, as much as I would love to explore those reasons, that’s just too much information to cover here. In fact, I’m not even going to dive too deep into why my ED behaviors started (for personal reasons). But, to put it briefly, when I was a kid I always felt as if I wasn’t enough. With anything I did, I always thought that I was going to do something wrong, that, no matter what I did, I was always going to come up short. That feeling of inadequacy mixed with my anxiety and spiraled me into what I now know as ED behaviors. When I felt I had no control in life, I could control what I ate. But there was no specific moment that made me that way. When I look back, I just remember having these thoughts and rules around my body, what I wore, and what I ate. But that’s kind of how an eating disorder feels. You’re going along in life, thinking that everything is fine, and then one day you look in the mirror and don’t recognize yourself anymore.
By Rowan Flores7 years ago in Psyche
Struggling with an ED
Stepping on the scale and seeing the numbers start to go up. That is the day my life started to change. It was raining outside and the house was silent, except for the classical music playing within. My thoughts racing and my emotions colliding and crashing. Feeling the soft rug in between my toes as the tears were running down my face. I was standing in the bathroom in front of the scale as if it was taunting me to take the step. Letting my eyes wander around the room looking for an escape of the mental torture. My eyes becoming fixated on the blue and white bottle of laxatives on the side of the spotlessly cleaned bathtub. As my mind was exhausted and tired of fighting, I stepped onto the scale and looked down seeing the numbers start to settle on the number 100 pounds. ‘I wasn’t skinny enough’ my mind kept repeating to me as I stepped off and grabbed the bottle of laxatives. My hands shaking and struggling to get the childproof cap off of the familiar bottle. My heart feeling as though it was going to pound out of my chest.
By Natalie C..7 years ago in Psyche
The Silent Struggle
I lost the things I enjoyed most during the height of my eating disorder. I was a writer. I used to be praised by my English and literature teacher for my writing skills in high school, but when my eating disorder fully held me captive during junior year, I could no longer find the words to write. My body was shutting down and my mind became foggy all the time. School became increasingly difficult for me, a previously straight-A student.
By Emily Nichols8 years ago in Psyche
