Should I get help?

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Okay, I think I've developed a problem with eating. Since October, I've been using food to control how I feel. I've been binge-eating and then purging it... is this a problem, and should I get help?

I don't want to get help though. I like self-distructing. I don't deserve to be here anyway (to be alive). Y'know, I wouldn't care if this eating problem killed me.

Katie,

"Binge-Purge" is a problem. Please seek help from your health provider.

Fnord

Yes seek help if you can't stop.

What you do not deserve is to feel as you describe yourself feeling. Please get some help so you can feel the way you deserve to feel, self-content and worthwhile. I know you are the latter, but you might have trouble appreciating this until you achieve a feeling of the former.

You should really seek help with that problem immediately. No-one deserves to feel that bad about themselves. What exactly is it that's making you feel this way?

Hi! Yeah, you should talk to someone. I recommend that you first mention something to a friend/sister/etc., then move on to a guidance councilor, church leader or therapist (if you have one).

I had the same problem when I was in my teens-early 20s. (I'm 40 now, and have stopped long ago).

It did not kill me, but ... one side effect of binging/purging is especially icky: the acid in my vomit destroyed all of my back teeth! Like, in a few years! Even though my teeth were fine and pretty before, because of the acid, I had to get about 8 back teeth pulled/root canaled. All ofof those dental procedures hurt a lot and were tens-of-thousands-of-dollars expensive. I also damaged my esophagus because of the acid.

Good luck and hang in there! You'll get better.

Thanks for the replies. Sorry for not getting back to you earlier, I've been to my cousin Emma's 21st birthday party. (That was hard because there was buffet food but I got through it.)

Um, in response to gina-ghettoprincess, anxiety is making me feel this way. I hate having such a high level of anxiety and the only way I've found to calm it down is binging and purging. I know that's bad.

I know all about the side-effects, and I'm beginning to see some of them (visible, especially on my knuckles and on my nail-beds). Physical problems are developing too, and I also feel light-headed and faint all the time. I went to my doctor to talk about it, and she said she'd up my dose of anti-depressants and see if that helped. She said in the meantime to go to hospital if I fainted, and that she couldn't do anything until the referral came through. Oh god, I love the NHS. She could of at least taken my bloods of blood-pressure or something, to see if it was normal (as I was feeling rather faint during the appointment.)
x

I would start taking a good multivitamin and make sure that you are getting enough iron and B-12 retained in your system. If you can handle taking a vitamin with some water in the morning at least an hour before you decide to binge-purge, then you won't be losing as many nutrients by the habit of doing it. Do seek help if you can.

Edit:
Take the vitamin with water right before bed if possible to keep it down better.

Potassium and sodium is also important. You can get electrolytes sachet from the pharmacy.

I think you know that this is a problem. There may be a bulimia helpline that may be easier to get help with.

Constant vomiting will damage the Esophagus.

I thought your plan was to drink yourself to death... or am I mistaking you with someone else...?

Drink as in alocohol or just drinking fluids?

Not a particualy quick or nice way to go.

yeah I think I remember the OP from the Alcohol thread...

anyway, if that's you OP I'd love to hear some of your delirium tremens experiences.

you might want to reconsider that though, I agree that it's not the best way to check out of this world...

Yes, and dehydration is the immediate concern. Drinking water instead of binging is a better idea, but drinking too much can kill you. However, being able to drink that much is really difficult. If you want to self cure this issue, then find a happy balance between drinking water before meals, and then eating strict portion sizes. If you want to eat throughout the day, then break up all your food intake into small snack size meals, and eat 4-6 times everyday after drinking at least 8 oz. of water before and/or during each meal. Stop drinking coffee, soda, and any sugar or corn syrup based liquids if you are doing that. If you are a smoker, or in the process of quitting, it may be affecting your anxiety levels, so consider that if you are. Finding the root of the problem is important, but finding a solution that will ease the urge to binge-purge is step one. Avoid binging on sweets and fatty foods to avoid any guilt that you may be having. If you feel guilty without the 'guilt foods' then you will be able to focus on the real issue and not use food as the scapegoat. The food is just a cover up for a deeper problem that is related to the anxiety. I've heard many times, that the act of purging becomes ritualistic and that the purgers become emotionally attached to the act itself. You need to tell yourself not to do that, and that you want to be healthy to make yourself less anxious. Drinking a calming tea with just a little bit of honey will help also. Try a mint herbal blend with any of the following; lavender, ginger, chamomile, valerian, and/or cinnamon. There are benefits to green tea as well, such as balancing effect. If you want to try teas, go to a specialty tea shop that will have someone you can ask about tea for your issue. I buy tea from multiple tea stores in my area due to the variety of the selections and the different focuses each shop has.