Author Topic: Binge eating, purging & Christmas  (Read 5889 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Lost_soul

  • 18+
  • Usually here
  • ***
  • Posts: 708
Binge eating, purging & Christmas
« on: December 23, 2013, 07:27:35 PM »
I hope this is the right place to post this??

Im wondering if anyone here has issues with binge eating and purging? and how do you cope with it? As Christmas is getting nearer I'm getting more anxious about the food aspects of Christmas.

There will be so much food around, loads of my binge foods will be available in surplus and I'm worried about how to cope with it all? Especially as purging will be harder as there will be a lot of people around?

This is the first Christmas that my issues around food have been this bad so i would really appreciate any help or advice anyone can give - thank you!

Offline Je7

  • 18+
  • Usually here
  • ***
  • Posts: 1247
Re: Binge eating, purging & Christmas
« Reply #1 on: December 23, 2013, 11:55:20 PM »
I don't really have much experience of eating disorders, but I wanted to tell you to be kind to yourself. Maybe try to plan what you can eat to be healthy so maybe a tiny bit of everything? Do you have anyone you can talk to irl about the food issue?  :hug1:

Offline Lost_soul

  • 18+
  • Usually here
  • ***
  • Posts: 708
Re: Binge eating, purging & Christmas
« Reply #2 on: December 24, 2013, 11:04:24 AM »
Hi Je7, thanks for replying

Maybe I can just try to eat a little of each thing? It's all the sweet stuff I'm most worried about, control around those foods has got really difficult recently :(

Officially I don't have an ED but I think my OT is possibly going to go down that route..... I only recently admitted to her about what is happening with my relationship with food, finding it incredibly difficult to say anything about it to her as I'm so embarrassed/ashamed.  :-X

She is really lovely though and wants to try to start looking at it after Christmas (it was decided it would be too hard to start work on over the Christmas period (ESP as she is away). She wants to tell my psych as she feels it woul be the best way to make sure I have the best support possible - terrified of what he might say/think though  :hide:

Offline Olivia

  • 18+
  • Gold Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 310
Re: Binge eating, purging & Christmas
« Reply #3 on: December 24, 2013, 06:22:37 PM »
Just to let you know that I completely relate to how you're feeling. I'm bulimic and food stresses me out at the best of times, so Christmas feels like a nightmare. The only thing that stops me from purging straight away is to stay around people. That way there is less opportunity for me to purge and sometimes the feeling will lessen or pass. As for binge eating, it sometimes helps if I look at other people's plates and 'copy' the amount of food that they put on theirs. That way I'm less likely to overeat.

I can totally recommend getting ED support. My support had to be stopped due to it only being for a limited period. But the CBT programme they had me following was related to binge eating and the issues that go with it. I started to see little differences, e.g. getting rid of scales, introducing breakfast each day, keeping a food diary and seeing patterns in my eating.

I hope that you have a good Christmas and don't be too harsh on yourself if things don't go to plan  :hug2:

Offline Lost_soul

  • 18+
  • Usually here
  • ***
  • Posts: 708
Re: Binge eating, purging & Christmas
« Reply #4 on: December 24, 2013, 06:34:45 PM »
Hi Olivia,

It's kind of nice to know that I'm not the only one struggling like this, though at the same time I'm sorry you are (if that makes sense?)

Thanks for the tip about copying amounts other people have on their plates, I'm hoping these tips will help make Christmas a little more bearable. I've made a point not to buy in any special food for Christmas so that home is a little safer (though bf has now trashed that by bringing home two huge tins of chocolate for us!) - he doesn't know about my food stuff so it's not his fault but panicked when I saw them!!

Did they make you talk about specifics like amounts you ate/your weight? I'm terrified of being asked these questions a the answers are just too shameful! Not sure what route my OT is going to want to go down re: my eating stuff but really hoping she sticks to me being supported just by her and maybe my psych for it, I don't want anyone else that I don't know involved. Scared of what she will say

Thankyou, hope you have a good Christmas too x

Offline Olivia

  • 18+
  • Gold Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 310
Re: Binge eating, purging & Christmas
« Reply #5 on: December 24, 2013, 07:47:32 PM »
I was referred to the Eating Disorder service in my area. It was a programme of 8 sessions, initially being seen once a week and then the last four sessions were fortnightly. I felt I was beginning to get somewhere, but they decided not to offer me any more as I've had quite a lot of therapy on the NHS in the past.

They did weigh me each session and spoke about trigger foods, eating habits, etc. They will get you to keep a food diary, which you bring to each session. You have to be honest. I felt so ashamed telling them what I ate and having them look at my food diary, but I promise you that you start to overcome that feeling. I just kept reminding myself that this is what they do, this is their job and they deal with it every day. I never once felt judged.

The book that they worked from and recommended that I buy is called 'Overcoming Binge Eating' by Dr Christopher Fairb u r n. It is a great book and contains a self-help programme. Apparently it's recommended to help treat binge eating and bulimia by the NHS and many therapists use it. I worked through it in conjunction with therapy. You go at your own pace and you can repeat steps if you feel you need to.

You've already made a big step in telling your therapist about your struggles with food and it also sounds like you can identify trigger foods, events that make you want to binge. I honestly do believe that you can make changes and it can get better x

*Apologies about the spacing on the surname - it wouldn't let me type his surname!
« Last Edit: December 24, 2013, 07:52:17 PM by Olivia »

Offline Lost_soul

  • 18+
  • Usually here
  • ***
  • Posts: 708
Re: Binge eating, purging & Christmas
« Reply #6 on: December 24, 2013, 08:09:30 PM »
That sounds absolutely terrifying. Feel like I would have to lose a lot of weight first if they'd be expecting me to be weighed.....

I'm glad you never felt judged though and were able to start to overcome that feeling, has it proved to continue to be useful?

Bizarre coincidence - I bought that book on Amazon today! Good to hear that you've had positive experiences with it, there are so many of this type of book around its difficult to weed out the crap and find a decent book. Maybe I could try this first with a bit of help from my OT? I know she'd never make me go into numbers so that would feel a bit safer..... Though she has said she would like to seek advice from the ED team as its not something she specialises in. Scared.

Offline Je7

  • 18+
  • Usually here
  • ***
  • Posts: 1247
Re: Binge eating, purging & Christmas
« Reply #7 on: December 24, 2013, 08:26:30 PM »
A little of everything sounds good sweetheart. I think that as much help as possible sounds good. Try to get through the next few days as well as you can. Hugs x  :hug1:

Offline Olivia

  • 18+
  • Gold Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 310
Re: Binge eating, purging & Christmas
« Reply #8 on: December 24, 2013, 10:21:40 PM »
 I can totally understand your feelings of terror. I had exactly that same feeling of wanting to be thinner so I'd be 'worthy' of their help. But the statistics surrounding people with bulimia are that they are a 'normal' weight and not stereotypically emaciated. Although I agree that didn't stop the thoughts of wanting to lose weight.

As for me, I've continued to build on the small steps that I achieved in therapy. I'm currently struggling, but feel if I still had support with the programme I'd have made made bigger changes. However I know that the book is there for when I want to start again.

I'd say to read the book a few times before starting it. It's definitely something that your therapist would be able to work with alongside you. It's something you can work through yourself, but it definitely works better in conjunction with someone supporting you through it. It sounds like your therapist is totally willing to do this, which is great x