Adult eating disorders support

[thesootherfairy]

Hi
Was inspired by the teen thread. Looks really supportive and was wondering if anyone else would like an adult support thread?

I'm 47. Have young pre-teen DC, a DH and a family cat. I work full time self employed. But I've had anorexia since I was 12. Had no help (not well known about back then so no help offered). Recently been diagnosed with anorexia.

Now face a 2 year wait for treatment.

And you?

[quote thesootherfairy]**@TheOrigRights sorry to hear you're struggling with it.
I'm same in that any tiny weight increase sends me into a panic and I can't relax until I've lost that weight and more.

I can relate to trying on clothes. Bit of an obsession with getting smaller clothes (which means I'm smaller).

@Rustnot good news about your appointment  really pleased for you!
I know everyone always says: try to be v honest and upfront. Whilst it's good advice, I often feel panic stricken and find it hard to say much. Plus I'm ashamed. Can barely bring myself to write it to strangers on the tinternet much say it out loud.
I hope it goes well for you and that the offer good support.

@AtleastitsnotMonday. Did you feel like speaking to Beat? Or your GP?

@TheOrigRights. Offering you a handhold. Is there any way you could consider keeping those couple of pounds on and staying away from the scales? Even for a few days?
(Should take my own advice here )

I've got therapy appointment tomorrow. Always so nervous before hand. [/quote]

• thank you for asking. I’ve requested a phone apt with gp but not for 3 weeks.

TheOrigRights hang in there, try to eat the easiest things that still comply with your meal plan. If you can spend as much time with others and try to engage in tasks that require your full attention. Remember times previously when you felt like this reassure your self that the feelings did pass.

Thank you all so much for taking the time to write and support me - you get it and you gave me things to think about (removing the scales, eating something manageable, keeping occupied).

Today is a new day and I feel OK.

@AtleastitsnotMonday Does your GP know your bmi? I would phone back and ask for a appointment sooner, three weeks is really too long in your situation.

[quote kowari]**@AtleastitsnotMonday Does your GP know your bmi? I would phone back and ask for a appointment sooner, three weeks is really too long in your situation.[/quote]
No not at the moment. I didn’t really feel I could request an urgent appointment because I’m not acutely unwell.

@AtleastitsnotMonday
Can you phone back and at least let the receptionist know your bmi and ask if you can be seen sooner? At that bmi you should have observations and bloods done asap to find out how your body is coping. People have urgent appointments for far less.

Anyone else get super constipated? My bmi is not even that low but I like never need the loo

Yes me. All the time. Just another thing to add to the list of fun.

Yeah, do you have any solutions to it, I just go once a week if I'm lucky

I don't have any advice sadly. Sorry @Adriene200
How's everyone doing? Am having a rough week. Had covid jab and feel dreadful

How are you all?
Been wondering how everyone's been getting on.
@TheOrigRights, how are you doing now? Any more thoughts on seeking out other support?
@AtleastitsnotMonday have you seen your GP
@kowari how are you?
@Rustnot did you meet with the service and are you receiving therapy?

Still same here. Not actually doing so great. The therapy seems to be going around in circles and I'm not making progress. Am very very stuck. Need to unstick myself somehow.

Therapist is nice. Keeps telling me she's right here with me. She's very supportive.

@thesootherfairy things are not great here at the moment. I'm stuck in a continuous binge purge cycle and I'm worried about the physical damage that is doing to my body. I've been offered 12 weeks of therapy, starting hopefully within the next month, but no official start date yet. I don't know what happens if after 12 weeks things aren't better - it feels so time limited after the length of time this has been going on.

Where have you got stuck? It's good that your therapist is supportive.

@Rustnot I'm so sorry to hear that. Hopefully if you need help beyond the 12 weeks they will keep supporting you. Could you go private?
Contact beat for a handhold at the moment?

I'm so stuck within the anorexia and it has been going on for so long that I can't even tell my therapist the basic things about the Ed that she needs to know. I just clam up. Don't seem to be able to tell her anything useful. It's all so hard and I've made no changes at all.

I hope that they might extend the time, otherwise it seems like a lot of pressure to recover in what seems like a really short period of time. It would be nice if I knew i would be treated until I was better, but something is better than nothing. Private is a possibility, depending on how much it would cost. I'm lucky in that I have good support from CMHT.

What sorts of things are you holding back on? Don't be too hard on yourself, it's a difficult process and your ED will be fighting you every step of the way.

@Rustnot 12 weeks is really short. I am nearly 10 weeks in and I've barely managed to tell my therapist anything about my Ed. To be fair she's mostly been asking about me and my life in general.

I'm not someone who opens up easily. So not a good example really. Other people would probably get there quicker.

I'm stuck on not even being able to tell her much about how the Ed is for me. I'm simply to scared and too ashamed to do so. To be fair I think she recognises that.
We seem to talk about lots of other things rather than the Ed.
It is very hard. The day after therapy I sometimes feel like my brain has melted and I can't function.

It sounds like she is taking things slowly and and at a pace which is right for you. It's so cliche I know but your therapist will have heard similar stories before, and hopefully the more sessions you have with her the more comfortable you will be sharing with her.

I have got some out of range bloods back today as well as scan results that show I am on the borderline for starting to develop osteoporosis, so I really need to get my shit together soon if I want to avoid irreversible damage.

Oh rustnot. I'm sorry to hear that. ❤️ I hope you get started with therapy soon.

I didn't want to discuss my Ed with anyone but was terrified about osteoporosis as it runs in the family on my mums side. So three years ago I paid for a dexa. Thankfully all ok and very normal.
Sad thing is that just meant I continued rather than get help. While I was in getting the dexa done, I made a deal with myself that if there were any signs, I'd get help. I was so sure there would be however as there wasn't I had the perfect excuse to continue. I feel very ashamed of myself writing this.

Hugs to you @Rustnot

I think that's so typical of an ED. It will always find a way to keep itself going.

I feel quite overwhelmed this week - it's been a stressful week at work and I've had various different appointments and changes in my meds to sort out. Managing the ED and all of the appointments sometimes feels like a job in itself. I wish I could just switch it off for a day so I could gather myself a bit and then start fighting it again.

@Rustnot sorry to hear that your week was stressful. Hope the appointments helped and got your meds sorted.

How long before your Ed therapy starts now? Have you been allocated a therapist and have you spoken to them yet?

Hello, again. I'm in & out of this thread a tonne.

I have got a f2f appointment with my gp on wednesday due to lack of privacy/nosy neighbour. How does it work? Am I expected to start the conversation or will she start? slow death anxiety is killing me off with the unknown.

@Bubblemonkey
Beat has a download guide to how to initiate the GP and ED conversation.

Or you can do what I did as I found it much too hard to speak about or initiate.
I downloaded and filled out an EDEQ.
It was clear and obvious what the issue was. I actually just emailed that to my GP in the first instance and she rang me and we had a chat and she referred me.

cedd.org.au/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Eating-Disorder-Examination-Questionnaire-EDE-Q.pdf

Above is a link to one similar to what I filled out and sent to Gp.
And @Bubblemonkey don't hold back! Be honest about how bad you really feel.

Good luck @bubblemonkey. Let us know how it goes.

No update from EDS yet, but everything with them has been very last minute. I'm expecting to hear something this week, fingers crossed.

@Bubblemonkey how did it go? Hope it went well.

@Rustnot hope you get your call soon.

Am up can't sleep. Don't want to sleep. It's all awful just now.

My appointments tomorrow morning @thesootherfairy 😊

Good luck @Bubblemonkey for tomorrow hope it goes well.

How did it go @bubblemonkey?

I will be waiting at least another two weeks to start any therapy, bloods still out of whack. I am just about keeping it together!