Not quite bulimia and not quite anorexia

[bgbgbb]

I once read an article which described to a tee what I have, and wondered if any of you out there have it.

I am not anorexic, but I'm not quite bulimic. I am careful with what I eat, actually prefer the taste of low-fat foods, fruit and veges and fortunately am not a fan of fatty foods or cakes. But when I have eaten high calorie foods, I feel the impulse to vomit it up (and usually do). I would not vomit every day, sometimes there are days and even weeks when I have not vomited. I have a naturally good metabolism and am quite slim so I'm sure if I didnt vomit after these fatty foods, I'd not be any different in size. But when I know we're having fish and chips or pizza, the urge to vomit afterwards is so great it consumes me.

I have not mentioned this to any family member (including DH) as I dont want him being on edge every time I go to the bathroom after dinner, looking for signs that I have vomited, but I would like it to stop.

Has anyone else been in the same position as me?

[PrimaDonnnaGirl]

Do you make yourself vomit because you feel sick or do you just vomit involuntarily?

[parentingrocks]

Oh that's hard, you poor thing. I don't experience this bur wanted to give youvthe advice to maybe mention to a (good!) gp and they might point you in the right direction. X

[bgbgbb]

Thanks girls.

JLC, when I was pregnant it was involuntary vomiting because I always had bad morning sickness (especially with the twins), but other than that, so I make myself vomit. Only occasionally it has been involuntary with bad food, which I'm sure everyone gets. It stopped for many years and, ironically, it was pregnancy nausea that brought it to the fore again.

Soulsen, if your GP was in Melbourne I'd be very interested in getting his/her name. I've found in the past my GP's have not taken me that seriously or referred me to a psych, who turned it around to family problems. Like many of us, I did have family problems that caused the lack of body image confidence that started it in the first place, but I have conquered (for want of a better word) those family problems now and would like to conquer the eating disorder.

[Mis84]

Sounds like you have EDNOS (Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified). As someone who is strong recovery from an eating disorder of 5 years, I urge you to tell your DH and seek professional help.

I see a psychologist every few weeks now and I love going. It's helped me so very, very much. I saw her every week to begin with and saw a dietican too to help with what I need to be eating to get all my nutritional requirements.

I couldn't have stopped had I not told my husband and sought help. You just cannot do it without seeking professional help. Eating disorders are mental illnesses and need help. You can also contact The Butterfly Foundation and they can point you in the right direction.

[sweetpea82]

I have had exactly the same as you. I was always very careful with what I age although I was never anorexic ie. I never obsessively exercised, heavily restricted my food intake etc but occasionally I would binge and keep doing so knowing full well that I could purge this stuff out once I was done. This went on on and off for a few years (couple of times a week etc) but some bad stages daily and mostly always at night. I did seek professional help from my GP (I cant believe I did since it was the biggest darkest secret I had and I was mortified). Due to me being healthy by day and making myself sick at night I was able to maintain a very slim figure (not slim enough it seems) and friends would ask me how I could eat and still stay slim (little did they know).

Anyway back to the topic, I took antidepressants combined with seeing a psychiatrist or cognitive therapist.

My sister would be really annoyed with me if she found out I purged on food saying it was "such a waste of food" and it hurt. It's really important for others to know that bulimia disguises itself in all shapes and sizes but the feelings are the same and whether slim or fat, it's a serious problem.

The meds helped a lot but I only took them for a year but what helped more so was talking to my partner - which I suggest you do. Tell him to help you as soon as you get the urges to binge and how you're feeling when and while you eat. It is addictive behaviour and whether it's a couple of times a week or every day it's serious and not normal. The health effects are terrible and also what it does to your teeth is bad (all good now but I had to get lots of fillings and my teeth had eroded a bit). I'm sure the dentist knew what was going on.

I have not thrown up on purpose for 5 1/2 years now and am so glad that part of my life is gone.