Any one recovered from an ED?

[Trapped1]

I'm half way through my councelling after being diagnosed with buliemia. I've had a bad week, & been 'triggered' & now haven't eaten since Sunday. I'm not sure i can get cured... I've worked so bloody hard over the past few weeks after 15 years of this nasty illness.

There's no quick fix.

Take one day at a time, be strong when you can be, and if things do slide - get back on track as soon as you can. Be patient and kind to yourself, don't be hard on yourself when you have a bad day or a bad week - accept that it happened and move forward, knowing that it was just a short setback, it doesn't mean it will always be that way.

Someone close to me had anorexia. It took a while - I think close to six months - to 'get cured'. We weren't sure that she would get there at times, but she did. You can too.

Yes, fully recovered anorexic. I never went under 7.5 (but am 5'6") and got a wake up call when my periods stopped. I got professional help. Over 25 years ago now and I know where I would prefer to be. Met DH just after I had regained my first stone. I am convinced there's a genetic tendency. Good luck, take care, baby steps x

My DP was anorexic as a teenager. He is now fully recovered, but we both keep an eye on the situation in case there are future triggers.

On the other end of the spectrum, I also had an ED but it was compulsive overeating which I think a lot of people don't acknowledge as an ED a lot of the time.

Thinking of you.

Yes, it is possible. I am on my way out to work but will come back later and share some of things that helped me.

Hello! Sorry i had a whole message typed out on my phone, then it died on me, so this wont be as long or detailed as it could of been. But i'll try and put in as much as i can remember.
I have basically recovered from EDNOS, however the support i recieved on the NHS was terrible, really rubbish. It was made worse becuse i was 17, which isnt quite a child nor a full adult, so they didnt really know what to do with me. I think even if the support you recieve is amazing a lot of it has to come from you anyway.
Dont be too hard on yourself, this is your first relapse and probably wont be your last, but relapses are a normal part of recovery. I think it becomes easier when you are spending more days eating normally, than starving yourself, bingeing or purging. When this happens your brain begins to function probably again and staying on track becomes much easier.
I only suffered from bulimia for about a year, after being discharged from hospital with annorexia, as i felt i put on weight too quickly because of the IVs and eating plans. I managed to tackle it first from the purging aspect, not allowing myself to throw up. I concentrated on that, no matter how much i binged, and i eventually i realised that starving myself led to binging, which led to further weight gain, so i was able to curb the bingeing aspect as well.
The key is really finding reasons to live and stay well for. I have never been a motivated person, but i wanted to move out, so i got a job, i enjoyed working, socialising, volunteering, pub trips, take aways and weekends visitng friends around the country. All these little things i needed to be well to do, so i concentrated on them rather than on my eating habits or weight. Execrcise classes in the evening are a great thing to do to. Try concentrating on things youve always wanted to do, that dont involve controlling your weight or physical appearance in some way, and these things will helpt to distract you. Try to acknowledge the things in life that bring you happiness.
I have maintained a healthy weigh for quite some time now, with several relapses along the way, that have become less drastic and few and far between. I dont engage with diets or diet culture at all, or else i feel an instant relapse coming on. Ive learnt that im ok with being how i am, i still get just as much joy from life (in fact a lot lot more) than when i was 4stone.
Good luck :)

Try and think of it as a 'blip'. Setbacks do sometimes happen, but could you think about the things you have been working on in your counselling so far and use this to take some little steps back towards your recovery. It doesn't mean you are back to square one.

Recovered anorexic here, and recovered from specific social phobia (fear of eating in public) .
The second one I still struggle with a TINY bit but not much.

You can be cured-setbacks do not mean youve failed to recover :)

I'm depressed and have been on a high does of sertraline which I've not taken in a while. I run a business & have 2 DC & another job & I just can't cope. My haemoglobin (can't spell) is quite low. I just can't pick myself up. Thank u for replying x

Yes had anorexia in late teens /early twenties - even went down to 4.5 stone and was hospitalised. This then changed into full blown normal weight bulimia for the rest of my twenties. Got better in my early thirties...

What worked? Stopping thinking that every blip was a disaster and had written the day off. Accepting I needed to eat very regularly every day (carbs for breakfast lunch and dinner, and 3 snacks - yes 3!), and that I would put weight on but I could fix that later.

Biggest thing really was not letting one blip slide me straight back again...

I both compulsive eat and overeat. I'm going to a support group but I'm 8 months in and although I've got more insight into ed I'm still not really any different. I know at the heart of it I'm unhappy and unfullfilled but its chicken and egg in getting better.

Good luck. I do through the group meet many recovering or recovered people so it can be done!

I was bulimic and then anorexic for about seven years - I've been pretty much well for ten years.

Getting better was hard work. I had counselling too, and I think this was helpful. But I still had good weeks and bad days. The one thing I realised was that the bad days became further apart, the more I was able to cope. A few bad days doesn't equal disaster - you're still working on things, you're still getting better; it doesn't send you back to the beginning.

Practically, one thing I found helpful was to go out for a walk after I'd eaten. It stopped the chain of behaviours that usually happened, and by the time I'd been out for about 15 minutes, I felt calmer. I also made a special effort to eat well - lots of fruit and vegetables - nothing that could make me to feel bad or guilty.

Give yourself a break when the bad days happen. You can get better, and you are - keep working on it, but remember to be kind to yourself. Keep talking here if it helps too.

I was always told you can never recover, but you learn to live with it.

15 years on, I know my triggers and I know to tell DP when I'm feeling triggered. He knows to then keep half an eye on me but avoid any pressure on my exercise or eating habits and also to accept that I will probably lie about both

But, this has avoided me having anything beyond the occasional week or month long wobble. I'm a very healthy weight, I run and cycle but slow down when I get tired, I don't exercise when I'm ill. I am proud of my shape and body.

My best friend is struggling to control her anorexia and has been in and out of residential clinics and hospitals for years, but the one thing that has helped her make progress is having an 'inner circle' of confidentes who she can turn to when she has a wobble or relapse

"I was always told you can never recover, but you learn to live with it."

I respectfully disagree. I've had a lot of eating disorder treatment and been in a world renowned ED unit as well as met with many top ED professionals. There is always scope for recovery and to lead a full a happy live beyond 'living with it'.

I would say I am TOTALLY recovered as well :) And I used to think I would never see my 30s.... I'm 40 next year and life is sooooooo much better now

I've had eating disorders in their various manifestations my whole life, although have gone through periods of recovery/relapse.

I am convinced its possible to recover permanently, but I think it involves really digging out the poisonous roots of the issue and facing them (with professional help ideally).

Recovered bulimic here. After 12 years and zero support I managed it. Like someone else said think of it as a blip. It is a very hard thing to do and very occasionally I have my own blips but I feel so bad afterwards that it I can get back on track. You can do it. Good luck x

Recovered bulimic here. After 12 years and zero support I managed it. Like someone else said think of it as a blip. It is a very hard thing to do and very occasionally I have my own blips but I feel so bad afterwards that it I can get back on track. You can do it. Good luck x

Recovered bulimic here. After 12 years and zero support I managed it. Like someone else said think of it as a blip. It is a very hard thing to do and very occasionally I have my own blips but I feel so bad afterwards that it I can get back on track. You can do it. Good luck x

I am a recovered bulimic. Relapses are part of recovery and you have to pick yourself up and dust yourself off from this one. You KNOW what to do. Write yourself a food plan. Choose 'safe' foods and ensure you are eating every four hours. Start now. Record what you eat and once you have eaten your first meal distract yourself until any cravings go away. It will take ONE DAY of proper eating to stabilise your blood sugars and get you back on track. Just one day. Start now. Only you can do this, and you CAN do it!

Mama bear

I can't pic myself up, everything around me has gone wrong, I'm worried I will loose my children after reading on here today that a mum with depression & ED did.

Got triggered on the weekend & haven't eaten since. I'm due to see my therapist tomorrow but feel too low. My anxiety is terrible & I can't think straight

For me, the only thing that worked was to "decide" to recover. Previously, during periods of recovery (I swung between anorexia and bulimia from ages 13-21) I always had the thought "I can always go back to starving myself if things aren't going well" in the back of my head. Like I was only allowing myself to be well with the provision that I could relapse whenever I "wanted" to.

It took threats of inpatient treatment during my final year at uni for it to finally hit home that I had to stop. For good. I met my husband on the same day as I was discharged from outpatient treatment, and I had this huge realisation that this time, there was no going back.

But it also helps to know what is triggering your ED. For me it was all tied up with a massive fear of growing up and being independent - cliched but true. It was only once I really got over that fear that I could feel truly recovered. I have been without a single eating disordered action, and more importantly, without a single eating disordered thought for 4 and a half years now. It is genuinely not a part of my life any more. When I remember that time, it feels like it happened to someone else. It is possible.

I am aware however that my experience is not typical. If someone had told me I had to "decide" to recover when I was in the worst grips of anorexia I would have laughed in their face. I honestly saw it as impossible. I guess what I am trying to say is, people can change.

Wishing you all the very best.

Thank you

I've been ignoring and over riding the ED voice for a couple weeks. Eating 3 times a day with 3 snacks fron a eating plan, think I thought "god I can do this" but wasn't expecting this relapse to happen. I have to get better, I can't get up with out being dizzy & have such a busy life (work & running a business) 2 DC to care for. Mentally I can't & nos physically