Let me just start with a bit of background information regarding my eating disorder:
From day 1 my eating habits weren't normal, I refused to eat and was very fussy and picky when I did. Growing up I saw many nutritionist who all told me the same, eat healthly and gain some weight, which I didnt. I never choose to be thin and underweight and much of the time I felt ill and missed a lot of time from school. I had no energy and was convinced this was how I was going to feel for the rest of my life as I didnt believe healthy eating would help. When I was 13 however I decided enough was enough and maybe eating healthier and excersize a little bit would make me feel a bit more lively and happy, and it did. But I dislike healthy food with a passion and growing up I would demand takeaways or refuse to eat. It didnt take me long to slip back into my old habits and start reaching for the chinese takeaway menu, again, I had no energy and felt ill much of the time.
When I was 14 I was reaching the end of year 9 and taking my options for my GCSE'S, being the perfectionist I am I started to worry that I wouldnt get the straight A's I wanted so badly and started to restrict my food. I took up smoking, and started drinking with my friends, not to forget my problems, but just to have control over something.
When I started back in year 10 I started refusing to go to school and again my eating suffered. My grandad had gone into hospital and I was due to have a major operation and all the stress was making me seriously depressed. I wasnt eating or sleeping and it didnt take long for me to notice the bad effect it was having over me. When my grandad died a few months later it tore me apart and I didnt eat for days on end. I even attempted suicide because I was feeling so low. I was diagnosed a few weeks later but refused to change my eating pattern. I'd originally used food as a form of control but now I had no control over anything.
I started to self harm and eventually not going to school most of the time. If I was there I would suffer anxiety attacks and I missed a lot of my GCSE'S. I wish I had picked up on it sooner.
I'm still suffering today and dont want help. I dont think Im ready to give up on that last little bit of control I have.
If you suspect someone is suffering look out for these signs:
Apperence-
-Loss of muscle tone
-Nails are brittle
-Skin is dry
-Appears frail
-Wears baggy clothes
-Grey or yellow tone to the skin
-Hair loss
Behaviour-
-Avoids certain foods
-Refuses to eat in public
-Obsessed with being fat
-Obsessed with food and the amount of fat, calories, carbohydrates, sugar in food
-Suddenly wants to be a vegetarian
-Weighs food or obsessively counts calorie content
-Weighs herself constantly
-Avoids weighing herself at all cost
-Moods are dependent on whether she has lost weight or not
-Eats in secret
-When asked, always says she ate, although you'll rarely see her eat
-Has rituals when she eats
-Prepares elaborate meals for others (but won't eat it herself)
-Obsessively collects recipes
-Hides food in odd places so she doesn't have to eat it
-Frequently takes food up to her room to eat (so she can hide it and not have to eat it)
-Chews food and then quickly puts a napkin up to her mouth (to spit out the food)
-Hides laxatives, enemas, diet pills or ipecac (syrup that induces vomiting)
-Complains of constipation
-Obsessively researches and reads books on weight loss and eating disorders
-Exercises obsessively and if she can't exercise, freaks out about not being able to
-Constantly seems to have an immense amount of energy
-Never stops moving or refuses to sit down (because she can burn more calories that way)
-Is always cold
-Complains of feeling dizzy or appears to get dizzy when she stands up
-Frequently complains of headaches
-Unable to concentrate like she used to (because she is always thinking about food)
-Has mood swings - gets upset easily and is irritable
-Appears depressed
-At times is lethargic, tired
-Doesn't sleep well - stays up late at night, has insomnia
-Is a perfectionist -
-Appears anxious most of the time
-Has withdrawn from activities she once enjoyed
-Does not interact socially or does so on a much less frequent basis
-Is constantly hard on herself for every little thing
Medical-
-Appears short of breath
-Amenhhoreic - lost her monthly period
-Has low blood pressure
-Low resting heart rate (weak pulse)
-Heart rate spikes upon rising from lying to sitting or sitting to standing
-Has osteopenia or even osteoporosis - brittle bones
-Has heart palpitations
-May suffer from panic attacks
(Information from http://www.eatingdisorders411.com/anorexia-symptom s.html)
If you spot any of these symptoms please try to get help for the person suffering or if you yourself are reading this and thinking, that sounds similar, please get help. The quicker it is caught the easier it is to treat