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Q: Coping with eating disorders and their treatment
asked by: DoctorQuestion on October 20th, 2009
Since April 2006 there hasn't been a day I've not thought about food and it's effect on my body. I may have just another 'eating disorder', but I'm determined to be done away with it. Once anorexic, then bulimic, now a binge-eater who starves for usually more than one week (when I say starve, I mean NOTHING passes my lips besides water), I've seen it all. And now I'm confused, exhausted and sick... so sick of the thoughts in my head. I haven't had my period for the whole year. I starve one week, binge the next. It's a deadly cycle that I've come to realise will only ruin me physically, psychologically and mentally. I'm sick of starving, and I'm sick of bingeing.
Ruined skin, dry hands, stretch-marks on my thighs, cellulite, bags under my eyes, callous on my fingers from purging, weak bones, and one very sick mind... these are the issues of my health.
Now I ask you, what's a steady, particularly suited food/exercise plan to get me back on track?


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Dr. Goce Aleksovski , MD
replied on October 26th, 2009
Eating Disorders Answer A7598
Given the data and the symptoms you reported (previous history of anorexic and bulimic eating habits, starving one week and binging the other, not having menstrual period for over a year, anemia, chronic fatigue, depression, ruined skin, dry hands, stretch-marks on thighs, weak bones), it seems likely that you might be experiencing an eating habits disorder.


The fact that you cannot stop thinking about food and its effect on your body might indicate that the thoughts about food and eating might have turned into obsessive ones.


You might want to visit a psychiatrist to search for any obsessive disorders that have leaded you to an eating disorder. It is a good sign that you recognize the condition and are ready to fight with it. A specific nutritional plan might be needed, but it might not be enough if there is an underlying psychological cause that needs to be solved first.


Given the fact that you change your eating patterns from starving to binging over two weeks, without additional problems originating from the gastrointestinal tract, you are probably ready for any diet. If your digestive system does not cause any problems when you are binging, then the digestion process is probably completely ok.




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