What am I doing to myself?

I need help. I have been seriously binging and throwing up for almost a year now. I was hospitalized 15 years ago with anorexia, and feel like I never have truly recovered. Does anyone have advice on what is thought to be "at the root" of eating disorders? I need to get back to baseline and stop throwing up!!! I could die, otherwise.

[firefly]

Hey coolchick,

I'm sorry things are so rough for you right now, and, I'm really glad you're posting here.

You've asked a very complex question. As I know you're a counselor, I'm going to forward some info. I hope will help.

Eating disorders, at the moment, as you're probably aware, have a separate DSMIV from substance abuse, however, they share many of the same obsessive/compulsive behaviors. I'm a student too,psychology. I recently did a class project on eating disorders and their connection to neurochemicals. These studies are very new. They focus primarily on serotonin, norepinephrine and the body's natural enkephlins ( sorry if I spelled any of this stuff wrong. My spelling sucks.) These studies are important because they seem to coroborate a direct link to changes in brain chemistry, making substance abuse and eating disorders over lap in a much clearer, more direct way. The Society for Neuroscience has some good stuff on serotonin. I just went on line now and looked again and found these two :

This one is a Lecture on Eating Disorders and homeostasis: http://www.nyu.edu/classes/azmitia/lectures/lecture14


This site looks good because it has references to text books on brief therapy: http://members.aol.com/lacillo/eating.html


I don't know what triggered your relapse. To figure that out will take time. Please keep coming back here, and talking about what's going on.

Peace and serenity,

firefly

CoolChick,

I wish I had some advice for you, but I do not have much of an understanding of this kind of problem. It must be very hard for you.

I hope you can find some understanding, and ways to cope with your feelings without hurting yourself.

Juls

[Paulie]

CoolChick -
I don't have any experience in this area either. I just want you to know we all support you. I think that like using drugs it has to have something to do with not caring about yourself to be hurting yourself like that. You have to care about yourself first, we all car about you!!!
Take care and have a wonderful day.
Pauline

[Pony]

Hey Coolchick,

Welcome to this sight. Though myself I haven't dealt with this particular problem, I have had an eating disorder all of my life. You are right in saying that you need to go back to baseline--a look back into your history and see where your need to use food as comfort, then resulted in guilt, most likely the reason you throw it back up. I would not be surprised if it was some traumtic experience from childhood, either some family thing or schoolmates cruelty that may have given you the insecurity of self. Well, it's been my experience that has been the beginning of many eating disorders that have resulted in life threatening situations. I would really be intrested to know how and where this all started for you.
It helps in our own education and understanding of your situation.

Meanwhile, we are all here to lend an ear and a comforting word, and yes also a gret big {{{{{{{{{HUG}}}}}}}}}

BE GOOD TO YOURSELF TODAY!!

Pony