TDS Eating Disorders Megathread

Hi guys, i've suffered from depression, but not self harm or from eating disorders.Would someone be willing to submit an experience report of Self Harm addiction/habituation or Eating Disorder addiction/Habituation. I would like to submit a collaborative experience report to Erowid.

Peace and love<3
 
Hi, I'm actually new here. So, forgive me if I do this wrong. I probably will. I have self harmed for several years. I'm a burner. I actually went to rehab three years ago because things were pretty bad. What kind of information are you looking for?
 
Laplanda, PM me if you need a chat/support re. ED- have experience in this area (unfortunately! :p) and if you need to vent/need support, or a proverbial, ear, feel free . <3
 
Hey guys.....haven't been on the forum in awhile. It's probably been years. Anyway, lets see if I have the energy to even finish this stupid post.

I wrote a really long post detailing everything that led up to this point, but I decided it was too fucking long and pointless. So here's the short(er) version. I guess it's still maybe a bit long so....sorry.

TLDR: I'm scared to eat because I'm afraid that everything will make me sick and it's making it really hard to function because I feel weak all the time from not eating, but I don't know how to just start eating normally again and I know it's all in my head but I don't know how to overcome it.

My anxiety and depression has got to a point where it's making it severely difficult for me to eat. And yes, I've seen a stomach doctor and they did tests and a scope and blah blah blah and told me there's nothing physically wrong with me to cause this problem. It's all in my fucking head. I used to LOVE eating and eating used to be a comforting and enjoyable activity and now it's torture.

I'm generally nauseated at all times. Maybe not ALWAYS, but a good portion of the time. Sometimes it's from not eating. Sometimes it's from eating. Sometimes it's because I fucking suck and can't seem to enjoy the simple things in life like FUCKING EATING anymore. Can you tell that this is making me angry? It is. I thought that maybe if I get pissed off enough at myself for not being able to overcome this, that the anger would magically override any other feelings that I have and then I'd be ok again. Well, that hasn't helped yet.

I'm not sure when the fear of eating started. Maybe it started when I got legit food poisoning from a taco truck. I got stomach pains, vomiting, shitting blood after eating food from a taco truck. It lasted for 2 days. Ok, whatever right?

Then a little while later I got sick from a burger that I ate at a restaurant. No symptoms other than puking, so maybe it was all in my head.

Ever since the first incident, I'm constantly afraid of everything making me sick. It started with being afraid of tacos since that's what I ate when I got the legitimate food poisoning. Then it slowly escalated to being afraid of all food. First it was burgers. Then it was pizza. I puked after eating both of these things which I used to love eating. Probably because I subconsciously convinced myself that it was going to make me sick because I was so scared of getting sick. Every single fucking food that I used to enjoy eating, I no longer enjoy at all. I'm afraid of all flavors being too rich, or too sweet, or too whatever. And I've always been extremely afraid of puking, so that probably doesn't make this any easier.

I'm living on pasta with butter and salt, alcohol because I'm a nervous wreck and it has calories, and lots of caffeine free Coke. I know soda isn't good for your body but Coke helps when I feel nauseous but I know that I drink it way too often now because I need calories from somewhere when I can't eat. I have Zofran but it doesn't help at all anymore. And no, I can't smoke weed for nausea because I'm scared of weed too (go figure) because I had a panic attack from smoking on many occasions because I can't control my fucking anxiety. On the rare occasion that I've smoked weed without having a panic attack, it really did help my nausea but I can't see myself using that as a solution because it's far too likely to give me a panic attack most of the time.

When I'm not anxious I'm able to eat more variety of foods, but the only thing that helps with my anxiety is alcohol. I was drinking every day for awhile, but now I forced myself to cut back to 5 days a week. But lately even when I'm drunk I can't seem to eat much. I was prescribed Ativan which didn't do shit for my anxiety, so they switched me to Xanax. Xanax helps my anxiety but I can't take it if I need to be awake so I rarely take it, only once or twice a week. The dr gave me Wellbutrin which make me feel fucking fantastic at first, I had lots of energy and I felt like maybe I'd be ok, but then the jitters turned into anxiety which turned into chest pains which led me to stop taking the Wellbutrin. So they switched me to Effexor which I never started taking in fear of it giving me the same symptoms as Wellbutrin. I know they're both SNRIs which can be more likely to cause anxiety, but SSRIs were tried first and gave me sexual side effects, and I'm sorry but I need to at least be able to have an orgasm. SNRIs didn't cause sexual dysfunction so that's why I wanted to stick with them but now I'm scared of them making me too anxious.

If puking wasn't such a horrific, awful feeling to me maybe I wouldn't be so fucking scared. I envy people who aren't afraid of puking. Maybe I'm just a stupid little bitch who needs to suck it up and face the fear. I'm not quite as scared of puking as I used to be, but it's still scary and extremely unpleasant.

I've lost weight (I was skinny to begin with) and now I constantly feel weak and lethargic from not eating. My friends are worried about me and they tell me how they remember how I used to enjoy food and I ate all the time. But now going anywhere with my friends is torture because when we get something to eat, I start to panic and I'm no fun to be around at all when I start bitching about being scared to eat and I'm surprised that I have any friends left at all. I can tell that they don't want to be around me as much anymore. And I don't blame them. 8)


I'm sorry for the really long unorganized post. I just don't know what to do at this point. I'm pissed off at myself. I'm hoping that someone has some tips to help me start eating again and getting past this fear of eating. I really need to talk to someone. Please help me. :!
 
Last edited:
Wow, BREATH! Realyy, B R E A T H! I am not sure how to help you, just that when I read this, I thought you might need that reminder!

I would start with something close to what you are capapble of eating already- you got pasta and butter down, how about toast with butter? Pasta with a heavier sauce? Keep up baby steps- add or change one ingredient and see how that goes? Best of luck to ya'!
 
^ Absolutely.

I know things can be scary and you don't need to fight with these feelings. Try to think of them as something that won't last forever.
I have had agoraphobia and panic attacks and I know how you can simply freeze out of fear or concern. Don't be alarmed these things happens. I'd suggest you to find a good psychologist, not psychiatrist (not right now I mean). I know it's hard to find a good one but it could mean a lot for your. Some of them know how to endure with some therapies that could really be helpful in a reasonable short amount of time, say 6 months. Do you know anyone?

Don't apologise for your post, everyone has their own problems and fears - most of us have gone through really tough choices and situations. What I mean is that you shouldn't put yourself down. This is the place you can share whatever you want to.
 
Thanks guys

Yeah, I'm moving next month (which is exciting, not a cause of anxiety) and it's to a bigger city and I plan on trying to find a sliding scale clinic where I can afford to go to. I can't go until I can afford it though but I have to try. The problem usually is that o start going then can't afford it and quit.

Today is really rough. Drinking all the Coke is finally irritating the lining of my stomach or something cuz I've been in pain which didn't happen before so I'm trying not to drink Coke for right now but it's hard when I can't get calories another way. I bought some Pedialyte today, which doesn't have many calories either but it has electrolytes. I haven't hardly eaten anything in 2 days other than a few French fries and I'm at work right now so I can't risk getting sick while I'm working so I can't eat at work. I feel like a limp noodle. Weak and dizzy and tired. This has to end. I want my life back. I'm pissed off

I'm going to try eating after work. I don't really have any "safe" foods anymore. It's hard to tell what will actually make me sick and what's all in my head and won't make me sick. I don't know anymore. I know that I need to change my thought pattern when I'm eating. Stop jumping to "this will make me sick" and try to think "this is good and I'm fine." But getting my body to believe that is another story.
 
Hey I'm afraid of puking too! Even if I stick my finger down my throat, nothing ever comes out... it's some mental block. I used to never be able to swallow pills either.

I wonder if you would be able get a strain of cannabis with a ratio of less thc and more cbd?

Also your fat reserves must be dwindling and your body running on fumes... you gotta eat more than a few french fries in 2 days. No more coca cola!

You've tried a new (non flavoured) drink in Pedialyte -- if you're willing to try new foods, I would suggest avocados. They have a very mild nutty flavour, you can kinda mash it into a creamy paste if you wanted... and it's packed full of calories and nutrients. Lots of fibre and monounsaturated fat too. Pasta isn't very nutritious by itself... cruciferous vegetables are typically the most nutritious but not exactly calorie dense.

I hope it all works out for you
 
Hey I'm afraid of puking too! Even if I stick my finger down my throat, nothing ever comes out... it's some mental block. I used to never be able to swallow pills either.

I wonder if you would be able get a strain of cannabis with a ratio of less thc and more cbd?

Also your fat reserves must be dwindling and your body running on fumes... you gotta eat more than a few french fries in 2 days. No more coca cola!

You've tried a new (non flavoured) drink in Pedialyte -- if you're willing to try new foods, I would suggest avocados. They have a very mild nutty flavour, you can kinda mash it into a creamy paste if you wanted... and it's packed full of calories and nutrients. Lots of fibre and monounsaturated fat too. Pasta isn't very nutritious by itself... cruciferous vegetables are typically the most nutritious but not exactly calorie dense.

I hope it all works out for you

Do you think CBD oil would help? I have some that goes into a vape pen. I haven't really used it, but if it might help me eat I can try. Does CBD stuff show up on a drug test though? I have to get a new job when I move so I'm avoiding drugs that will show up on a test. I haven't even been taking my xanax as prescribed because I don't want to delay getting the job when they have to stop and verify my rx.

Yeah I've been feeling the ground move underneath of me a couple of times today. Not good. I feel very run down. My stomach is still hurting and recovering from the Coke. I didn't drink any today, well only a few sips but that's much better than my normal 2 or 3 cans or more. I managed to eat a burger, chicken breast and fries and salad yesterday but that was only one meal and haven't eaten since then. I'm taking some Nexium to see if it helps the stomach acid.

I do like avocados usually. I'm trying to drink some milk. I used to love milk. Not sure if my body still loves milk, but if its something I can handle then that would be some easy liquid calories
 
I had a feeling they might start you on a PPI like Nexium. I was on pantoprazole for 4 months after a suspected stomach ulcer, it helped... but caused very dry mouth at night (leading to multiple cavities... Biotene helped for only 2-3 hours). The initial stomach burning took about a week to go away.

I've recently tried sublingual cbd oil but probably took too much, it made me sleepy after 1.5 hours and I had to take a nap during the middle of the day. After I woke up I was very relaxed... maybe if you could find the right dose for your anxiety, it could help with eating food. Too bad Zofran doesn't work for you anymore.. normally it works great but it's expensive.

Problem is, sometimes cbd oil is combined with a bit of thc ++ you have to be careful with fly-by-night (potentially contaminated) sources.

This guy failed a drug test with hemp derived cbd containing up to 0.3% thc:
https://www.reddit.com/r/CBD/comments/5qefx7/cbd_oil_and_positive_drug_test_after_initial/

I haven't found good answer re: 100% cbd oil falsely showing as thc on a drug screen. I'm not qualified to answer this though, my chemistry knowledge is lacking.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21175589

Milk stimulates gastric acid secretion, so even though it seems like it makes things better by coating the stomach, it does the opposite. Citrus, tomatoes, caffeine, alcohol, carbonated drinks, spicy foods are generally to be avoided with gastritis, but which foods cause problems are largely due to individual differences.

Anyways I'm glad to see that you've been eating more! Keep up the good work, it's a big improvement from just french fries.
 
Yeah, I hear you. I'm afraid to eat too. I used to work out a while back and working out, I had to eat a lot of protein. Somehow, all that protein did not build any muscle. What it did build was fat. I am actually infuriated at myself actually. I'm pissed off at the fact that not only am I not good at building muscle, but my body is extremely good at converting all the nutrients into visceral body fat. I realized now that this is due to my genetics. Anyways, my point is I gained 30 lbs this year and got sleep apnea. I'm borderline diabetes too. People keep joking around on how I might get diabetes and shit, but that is no laughing matter, so a couple of weeks ago, I just stopped eating. I lost 7 lbs but I still have the apnea and I have a determination to get rid of the sleep apnea because it is literally kicking my ass everyday. I feel like I only get 6 hours of sleep every day cuz I wake up 3 times a night. I'm definitely more careful of what I eat. Gotta lose the sleep apnea for starters. And every time I see food, I associate it with diabetes so I don't eat it
 
Hey there. I know the last thing you probably need is another pill...but Zofran quit working for me too. I take Phenergan. It does seem to help me.
I am with these others who posted. You recognize the issue...just take small steps to address it. Keep a log book of you have to of things you can eat and things you can't. Every little small step is huge in the end. Remind yourself every day how important you are...and how important those nutrients are. I didn't see you post anything about multivitamins either. May be a route to go to at least have them in your system. There are so many options...gummies, liquid, sublingual vitamins. May help your energy a bit. You can do this.
 
Hey there. I know the last thing you probably need is another pill...but Zofran quit working for me too. I take Phenergan. It does seem to help me.
I am with these others who posted. You recognize the issue...just take small steps to address it. Keep a log book of you have to of things you can eat and things you can't. Every little small step is huge in the end. Remind yourself every day how important you are...and how important those nutrients are. I didn't see you post anything about multivitamins either. May be a route to go to at least have them in your system. There are so many options...gummies, liquid, sublingual vitamins. May help your energy a bit. You can do this.

Yes, I've heard of Phenergan. I haven't taken it in years, but I've considered it. I worry that it may have a side effect of making me tired though. But if I need nausea relief, I may need to try it again. I'm worried that I might not be able to take Zofran anymore because I've read that combining it with SSRIs or SNRIs increases the risk of serotonin syndrome. And I've started taking Effexor. So I'm not sure if taking Zofran is worth the risk now, or if the risk of serotonin syndrome is relatively low, or what.
 
I'm not sure how long I'll be taking the Effexor though, because although I'm not having any jitters from it which is good....I can't fucking orgasm. Normally I jerk off at least twice a day. But I've been taking the Effexor for less than a week and for a couple of days I've been unable to cum. Its really frustrating. I know it has to be due to the Effexor, because I've never had this problem for any other reason. I had the same thing happen with Zoloft. Wellbutrin didn't have any sexual side effects, but it made me way too jittery. Meh. I don't know if I should continue to bother with the Effexor and hope the sexual side effects go away or just give up on Effexor now.

I'm only trying antidepressants because I know that my eating issues are mainly caused by anxiety and depression. I'm prescribed Xanax too but I try not to take it very often because I don't want to build a tolerance. I no longer have health insurance (I no longer qualify for the low cost plan through my state) and I don't know when I'll be eligible again or if I'll qualify for an affordable plan through my new job when I move, or what. I guess when I move I'll try to find a sliding scale clinic and go from there.

Currently I'm taking Nexium to help with the stomach irritation from drinking too much Coke and it's helping. I don't know if I may have developed an ulcer or something, but I had really bad stomach burning and cramps for a few days. It's getting better with the Nexium. I avoided alcohol for a couple of days, and I'm drinking every other day now instead of every single day. It sucks and I hate to be sober, but I need to take care of my stomach. Eating is still a struggle, nothing new to report there. Except that I'm still trying to eat. Work is difficult when I get low blood sugar from not eating but I need to run around at work so I need calories. Usually I'd just drink some Coke but since I can't right now, its making things more difficult.
 
I originally posted a longer reply for you, but somehow I deleted it while trying to edit a typo.

Anyways, start taking these two things, Zombie.

-Glutamine powder
-Probiotic 4

The glutamine will patch your gut and the probiotics will mend the immune system.

I have a friend who I used to force to eat, because they had a hard time and this reminds me of it.

Take care of yourself and please eat.

Your friends care and want you around, but anxiety will cause you to be paranoid and think otherwise.

I hope you feel better soon.
 
I started to take pantoprazole 20, then 40 mg every morning since a long time ago. I usually take it first thing in the morning.

Now that I am sober I started to eat better and I'd eat chocolate every time I'd have cravings. Since I wasn't eating properly while on opiates I started to feel I could eat anything after quitting but with all the stress coming from work, together with tons and tons of feelings and flashbacks, I have developed a chronic ulcer. That plus my high pressure and inability to sleep were part of my physical scars from abusing drugs.

At some point we realize we need to take a better care of ourselves, same as rebuilding our social skills. Some of us still a long way ahead and I am glad that this path has often given me joyful moments.

Much peace to all. :)
 
Have you tried Remeron? It does wonders for me personally with depression and anxiety, and also it stimulates appetite so I've put on a much needed 25 pounds since I've been on it. But yeah I hope you find relief from somewhere, anxiety can be a prison.
 
Thanks for all the replies guys.

I've been able to eat a little more variety today. I guess I'm trying to take it a day at a time instead of thinking too much about it. I even ate some peppers and onions in my Chinese food, which is a small thing to a normal person but to me it's a big step because I had been avoiding the flavors of both of those things for weeks because I was scared. I was fine, I didn't get sick. I'm also trying to eat a bit of chocolate daily because I've been terrified of all forms of caffeine, including chocolate, for years now....which is an unrelated and very long story but it's something that I really need to work on also. It's a matter of getting my body used to not going into a panic attack. It's difficult but I've reached a point where I can stay calm mentally if I have a bite or 2 of candy, and I couldn't do that before. Again, it's a very small and probably silly milestone but for me it feels huge.

I'm off of the Effexor after deciding that the side effect of not being able to orgasm wasn't worth it. I'm moving to another city tomorrow so maybe once I get a few pay stubs from my new job I'll try to go to a different clinic to get on different meds but whatever. For now I'm just going without. Except for the Xanax if I have a panic attack. I was able to eat without psych meds before so I need to get used to doing it again.

I can do it and I will do it. I'm determined. When I move tomorrow, there will be so many new restaurants to try and I want to enjoy them all. I can't keep letting my fucking anxiety hold me back. Life is too short.

The encouragement from you guys helps as well
 
Top