Stress?

[SpeedyJason]

So I have a question, I do not believe I have an eating disorder, in fact I feel that I am far from an eating disorder, but my doctor has informed me that my habits coincide with an eating disorder. My "habits" are that I have a very hard time forcing food into myself when I stressed out... it does not feel good to eat when I am stressed, it just churns in my stomach, so I don't attempt to. I just have no appetite when I am stressed. I think he is crazy to suggest I have an eating disorder simply because I think not having an appetite when you're stressed is a normal reaction... I do not have an ulterior motive to not eat, in fact it's quite the opposite. I am chronically underweight and cannot seem to put on the pounds and it's always bothered me...if anything I wish I could GAIN weight. I think my doctor thinks I'm lying to him or something because I am underweight and maybe he thinks that I don't eat not just because I'm stressed, leading him to think I'm anorexic or something...he's trying to put the two together into something that just isn't applicable. What are your thoughts on this? Am I wrong?

When I am not stressed, my appetite is small but normal. I eat pretty healthy (I have a secret love affair with fruit). I just don't see how my doctor could have labeled it as an ED.

I am also skeptical cause he couldn't put a name to my supposed ED, he just told me my habits coincide with one... Hmm... maybe I'm just misinterpreting what he said altogether. I have no idea.

I should probably also mention that I am male.

[Pony]

Well, I am not a doctor, but I have heard of those who can't eat while stress in up front in their lives. I don't think that it is that uncommon. There are times when I feel too upset to eat, and I am a complusive overeater who used food to soothe emotional stress. But still find that sometimes there are things that upset me too much for me to eat.

Maybe your doctor just wants you to be careful that you are not heading in that direction of anorexia because it is so devastating and unhealthy.

Get a 2nd opinion

[Latte]

I've never been diagnosed with an ED, but from my experience speaking with others with food issues (I've had gastric bypass so I go to a support group for that and there are a lot of people with food issues there) and my own, stress does affect appetite. I think it is wise to be mindful and maybe that was what your therapist was trying to get at. Kind of like a "let's watch that mole and see if it changes" like a skin doc would tell you..."let's watch this eating behavior and help you keep tabs on it."

Does that make sense?

[SpeedyJason]

That makes sense, it wasn't my therapist that said it though, it was my medical doc. I don't think it'll change, I've always been like this.

[Latte]

That is very interesting that it was your regular Dr. I would take it with a grain of salt to be honest...and then run to the therapist and ask him/her what they think, because that is part of their job. My therapist and my Dr. communicate because I'm in a Special Needs program through my husbands job (military) so we can keep our SN status (ahh the paperwork trail of the Government) but they have stayed out of each others business really. FINE means different things to each of them. LOL