How did your ED start? Share your story.

[emmaleemochizuki]

I always had disordered eating but I was about 15 when it spiralled into a full blown eating disorder.
It was a number of things that triggered it. I was starting to go through puberty and I was very uncomfortable with how my body was changing. I lost someone very important to suicide, and there's a lot of conflicting emotions about that. At the same time I was doing my GCSEs and stressing about exams, and my scholarship on hold. And there was a lot of other things too and all of that became a perfect 'recipe', and I was diagnosed with anorexia.

I'm almost 21 now, and it has been a long journey. As time goes on I realised that it was far more than just food and weight. In fact probably nothing really about that. I experienced a lot trauma when I was young and developed a lot of maladaptive coping mechanisms where eating disorder was one of them. The last six years was a lot of ups and downs. I have been sectioned, admitted multiple times to EDUs and acute wards. But slowly I am recovering. I am still very far from recovered and I know I might not ever get there, but working with my therapist, my psychiatrist, my CPN and everyone that was involved in my care, challenging what I fear the most, things have changed, and I have grown.

What is your story?

 

[JessisMe]

I don’t know that there is a reason for it but one night when I was in third or fourth grade my parents went out and left me with a babysitter and I ate a half a pound of cheese. My parents got home and blamed the babysitter. And so my trend of secret overeating/bingeing began. Only as opportunity presented itself which was not too often. Now I only overeat substantially when I am in manía from my bipolar. But there is really no “solution” but rather an ongoing struggle of which yo-yo dieting seems to be key.

 

[daffy]

Mine started when my dad died four weeks before my wedding. I lost a lot of weight in that month but then it continued for a further 12 years whilst in an abusive marriage. Fortunately I’m ok now but i know when i get anxious or upset i do find eating difficult

 

[gay cotard]

For me, it started when my mom would make herself throw up on front of me and say food was bad, while starving me. I began to believe food was poison, and that I had died during my trauma and didn’t need food. I still struggle at 18.