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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

My name is PyongyangKipperband and I am Anorexic. However....

16 replies

PyongyangKipperbang · 17/02/2022 00:56

.....I am ok with that.

I dont really know what to do.

I am within the healthy range of BMI although I have done research and realised that my high muscle ratio will affect it. My body fat ratio is at lower end of normal but still normal.

I had a hypo last year due to not eating for several days so now I use milk drinks to keep it stable and try to eat once a day.

The thing is.....I know it is a result of PTSD. My STBXH was abusive, the last time he was in my house he beat me into hospital and tried to strangle me, since then I havebeen like this. I am the opposite of a comfort eater in that my appetite disappears when I am stressed or worried. And I equate being abused with being fat, I was a size 22 then and now I am a size 8. I loathe the idea of being big again because I know it will lead to being abused and beaten.

But (lots of buts!) I feel that I have the worst of it under control. I do eat, I keep my blood sugar steady and I have worked out how to keep the hypos away.

I am not in a place to unpick the whole ravelled up ball of fucked up that has led me here, I am just not ready. I havent even started divorce proceedings. I used covid as an excuse to not do it when the 2 year seperation deadline was up (didnt want to poke the bear even though I could have divorced quicker). I looked into it today and I just dont feel mentally ready even though I know I need to, he wants me back I know he does, but I cant say "NO. FUCK OFF". I am so strong now in everything else, but I cant do that because I am still scared.

Sorry. Not sure what I am asking and I am not sure I will be back soon as I am really struggling with this. I tried to call a helpline for ED today and hung up when they answered, its all horribly tangled up.

Can I just leave the ED alone and hope that when I find the strength to divorce, I will be able to deal with the ED?

OP posts:
RoyKentsChestHair · 17/02/2022 01:05

I don’t have experience of ED but I didn’t want to read and run. It sounds like you have enough on your plate at the moment (pardon the pun!) so as your eating is under control and stable just concentrate on taking care of yourself (sounds like you maybe use exercise to cope as you have high muscle) stay aware of your triggers and get this arsehole out of your life asap Flowers

PyongyangKipperbang · 17/02/2022 01:07

I went through everything, checking out I was eligible for legal aid, which companies did it locally, which one locally was best......just couldnt make the call.

OP posts:
PyongyangKipperbang · 17/02/2022 01:07

Thank you xx

OP posts:
watcherintherye · 17/02/2022 01:08

What’s holding you back?

PyongyangKipperbang · 17/02/2022 01:10

@watcherintherye

What’s holding you back?
Fear
OP posts:
Justilou1 · 17/02/2022 01:13

Hi @PyongyangKipperbang… I am very familiar with this mindset. When you were big you probably also had an eating disorder. You have changed your mindset from one where you looked for the comfort you lacked in your relationship and took it from food instead, to getting control of your eating so you can gain control of your emotional state and your relationship/living situation. I live like this too. You probably have C-PTSD, (complex PTSD) which is the result of long-term trauma, most often starting in childhood. I do recommend unraveling that with therapy when you can. (EMFT is the fastest and most effective form but it’s hard to find and expensive. You also need to be in a safer place mentally and emotionally to get that cracking.) I can say that I am getting there, if it helps. 🌻🌻🌻

KloppsTeeth · 17/02/2022 01:21

Flowers Sorry you’re struggling. I have no advice, but wanted to send you a hand hold for strength. I find strength comes in waves and will come back to you.
Some self care tips here
www.blurtitout.org/resource/self-care-info/

Girlmumdogmumboymum · 17/02/2022 01:30

I'm so sorry to read your post. I have an eating disorder, as a teen I would restrict until I would pass out, and as an adult I binge and binge until I'm sick.. I think it can be fairly common to have eating disorders at both ends of the scale.
At a size 22, you suffered something horrific, and it seems that right now, your way of dealing with what happened, and stopping it from happening again is with your weight, this is your control and you aren't ready to give that up.

Regardless of your weight, you can not go back with your ex, spend some time thinking of the other things that are keeping him away from you at the moment- that are not reliant on your eating disorder.

I promise you, there is help out there when you feel ready to get it. You'll find that people are really able to understand, and will be kind to you during the process of working through your issues surrounding food.

SpidersAreShitheads · 17/02/2022 01:54

Hey @PyongyangKipperbang - I'm so sorry to hear you're having a horrible time. I recognised your name from previous posts because you always seem like a forthright, intelligent person with a really eloquent way of expressing yourself.

I don't have an ED. But I'm autistic and have ADHD and sometimes the simplest things in life overwhelm me. Not everyone knows that I'm neurodiverse and to the outside world I'd seem strong, capable and very, very functional.

A couple of weeks ago I didn't eat for five days due to anxiety. The anxiety? My friend was going away for a weekend and the change in routine made me feel unsafe and weird. No matter how much I reasoned with myself, I could not stop feeling desperately anxious.

My anxiety levels have been very high in general recently, for various reasons. It's been utterly crippling.

But the thing is, at times like these, we don't need to pile the pressure onto ourselves. Whether it's an ED, mental health, or just general stress, you don't have to put pressure on yourself to do anything right now.

When things are hard, get through each minute, each hour, each day. Don't look too far ahead. Recognise the bloody amazing job you are doing of keeping yourself alive and well. Everything else can just bloody wait.

Do the things that help, even if it's only a little bit. If you need to build up your resilience to deal with some big things, take your time. Don't put yourself under pressure if there's no reason why you HAVE to do things now.

Sometimes I find it easier to think of the little girl that's still inside me. I find it hard to be kind to myself, but by thinking of myself in the third person, it's easier to be kind to me. We all have our younger selves inside us, as part of us. It's the vulnerable part of our psyche. Our childlike essence. When I'm struggling to cut myself some slack, imagining the young girl in me makes it easier to make sure I stay nourished, well and take care of myself. I wouldn't abuse a young child by leaving them without food, depriving them of sleep or speaking to them using harsh and unkind words, so by thinking of the young girl that still lives on inside me, it helps me to do what I need to.

A psychotherapist told me about that technique once, and I find it quite powerful. It might not work for everyone, but it helps me, especially when I'm self sabotaging or beating myself up for feeling overwhelmed.

As for the ED, you don't need to be confronting it right now if you think you're getting the nutrients you need and are maintaining a weight that's reasonably healthy. I think there is so much you've been through, if you try and tackle everything you'll just break. Because these are big, overwhelming things. Pick one small thing you can achieve, and when you feel able, tackle that. And then the next one. But don't put yourself under pressure. In the great scheme of the world and the universe, these things don't matter. YOU matter. Look after yourself in the best way possible, whatever that looks like. Bollocks to everyone else.

Yuleniquealast · 17/02/2022 01:57

I don’t really have any advice but want you to have a very unmumsnetty hug. I too recognize your username and have always enjoyed reading your posts so didn’t want to read and run Xx

WizardHowl · 17/02/2022 05:29

Another here who recognises your user name and has appreciated many things you’ve posted over the years. I’m sorry you’re experiencing all this - I can empathise with how difficult it is, and how intractable it all can feel. I have been in a similar situation. I know how bloody hard it can be Flowers

One thing to bear in mind is that when you are in the grips of anorexia and your body is undernourished, that of course affects your brain too, which can seriously impact your emotional responses and thought processes. I’m sure you are very aware of that. I guess what I’m trying to say is that waiting until you have the strength to divorce before you tackle the ED might not be the right way round; it may be that in order to find that strength and manage your reactions to the prospect of divorce, you first need to address the ED, so that your mind and body have the resources they need to take you through that experience. I know that may seem really hard as a prospect, but it could be worth considering..

TheWayTheLightFalls · 17/02/2022 05:57

No advice on the ED stuff. Another Nc'd long term poster here who recognises your name. Do you know about the introduction of no fault divorces this coming April? Would that help you, divorcing in a way that is ostensibly less acrimonious?

Louisianagumbo · 17/02/2022 06:03

Your eating order is a coping mechanism to deal with a problem in your life. Until you sort out the problem, it will be difficult to sort out your anorexia.
Why are you scared of divorcing him? Are you worried that he will come and physically harm you again? In that case you need to organise a system of protection. Ie, court orders, emergency contacts to get people to come round, etc. I'm sure you have things like this in place anyhow.
Divorcing him will be challenging but you're looking at setting out a new future and getting your life back into balance. It's not about being a size 8. You can be a healthy size 8 with no problems. But you're controlling your food because you have no control over other things in your life and you won't be able to live with the mental strain for very long. Don't be afraid of divorcing him, be afraid of staying married to him because it's that that is causing you all your problems not your ED. Sorry to be clichéd but every journey starts with a single step snd the first step is always the hardest. But you either move forward or you stay rooted in the unhappy spot you are now. (All much easier for me to say than for you to do, I know.) Good luck.

StopStartStop · 17/02/2022 06:18

You have been horrible to me in the past, on mumsnet. Yours is the only username I recall for that.

I am sorry you are in this position. I know what it is to be immobilised by fear, unable to move on. I hope the strength you need comes to you.

I am another who can recommend addressing your inner child with love. A further technique is to make your bed the cosiest space in your world, so that every time you go there you are rewarded with happiness and comfort.

Would it help to write down what you need to say when you call the helpline? Just to get you over the initial couple of sentences.

I hope you have a good day and are able to make a little progress. You can start to heal now, it's ok. Sometimes that involves a bit of falling apart first but you are strong, you are surviving.

Pinkyantelope · 17/02/2022 06:32

I recognise you too. You always give empathetic and useful advice on here. I hope you get the support you deserve.

I just wondered whether you'd think of seeing a counsellor just to get some support. You wouldn't have to talk about your past trauma, or your current ED, just to talk about how you're feeling right now and how you're needing support to deal with things in the moment. Once you get to a more balanced place, you can start to unpack the things that have deeply wounded you.

It makes perfect sense to me that you have developed a coping strategy in having an eating disorder. Your brain is telling you it's keeping you safe from being harmed further. But it's also not good for your health in the long run. If you can find better ways of managing your distress it will be much better for you in future. But that's for the future. What you need now is to learn to feel safe.

It's not surprising you're feeling as you do. The stress you've been under is like having been in a war zone or being chased every day by a lion. The brain can't distinguish between physical threat and mental torture, No one should have to put up with that over time. It's very harmful for you, physically, mentally and emotionally. Which is why seeing someone who can help you to no longer feel that high level of stress and anxiety, and to start feeling safe will help you enormously.

You can start to think about the divorce when you're feeling more resilient. Divorce is a big thing to deal with. I wouldn't start to deal with that until you've started to heal.

Someone who works with EMDR or who's experienced with sensorimotor therapy might be a good place to start. But be clear about what you are and are not prepared to talk about from the beginning.

Pinkyantelope · 17/02/2022 06:36

Oh and as for fearing he wants you back, read about trauma bonding. It explains why it's difficult to tell him to fuck off.

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