Struggling with ED

Guest_2475 — Wed, 12 May 2021 11:39:29 GMT

I’ve recently began struggling with BED which has led me to a lot of weight gain. It’s impacting my whole life. School, relationships, friendships, sport and hobbies. My mental health is even impacted by it cause it’s the only thing I focus on nowadays. How do I stop this cycle. I just want to be a teenager again instead of stress over how many calories I consumed at breakfast.

Struggling with ED

Guest_4643 — Wed, 12 May 2021 11:41:55 GMT

hey guest_2475, welcome.

i struggle with binge eating too, and i need to seek help for it myself. but like i told another user here, maybe you could try speaking to a GP and getting a plan for the medicare sessions for eating disorders? i don't know the process, who would be involved and how long it would take. otherwise you could try contacting the butterfly foundation?

Struggling with ED

therising — Wed, 12 May 2021 20:23:16 GMT

Hi Guest_2475

My heart goes out to you as you face the compulsion, stress and disappointment that can come with BED. I'm wondering if there's anyone supporting you in getting to the bottom of why you feel compelled to eat in the way you do, whether it's psychological or biological or perhaps a bit of both. mb20lover offers great support in suggesting a visit to your GP be your first port of call. Finding a GP who loves playing detective and not one who'll just write it off to 'being a teenager' or 'a lack of self control' is so important. You want an answer, not a brush off.

I can relate to both psychological and biological reasons for binge eating. Mentally, I'm an 'emotional eater'. If I'm a bit down or looking for excitement, I'll eat foods than excite me. If I'm stressed, I may eat foods that give me a sense of peace. There's actually a specific cake from a local bakery that I would label 'Joy in the form of a cake'. The list goes on.

Biologically, before being treated for sleep apnea, I ate like a maniac. It's like my body was saying 'C'mon, more, more, more. Not enough, keep going. More!' I mentioned this to the woman treating me and she said it's not at all unusual for people with sleep apnea to overeat and/or consume huge amounts of caffeine. The body's not getting the energy restoration that comes with productive sleep. It'll look for energy wherever it can get it. B12 deficiency is another one. All I pretty much did was eat and sleep, before the deficiency was discovered and treated.

Some parents may even say 'All my 6ft teenage son seems to do is eat and sleep. He's so expensive to feed'. Of course, it takes a huge amount of energy to fuel such a rapidly growing person.

There could be a hundred or more different biological reasons for the energy cravings, including meds that zap energy levels, leaving us vibing low and craving more. So, you can see what I mean when I say you need to employ a GP who loves being a detective. Perhaps you could start with a blood test. See where your iron, b12, thyroid etc levels are at. He or she may even consider referring you to a good dietician who might further investigate. They might even construct a healthy high energy diet.

Don't give up looking for the reason/s as to why you feel the overwhelming need to eat. There's always a reason as to why our body and mind do what they do, why they lead us to where we are.

You're the #1 detective on this case. Who are you going to employ to help you?

🙂

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Struggling with ED