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I don't believe I'm anorexic.
fluffybunyip
Posts: 4,909 Forum Member
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Firstly, I've been diagnosed with anxiety/agoraphobia. I've been this way for many years. Secondly, I don't eat enough. At best, two meals a day - at worst, none. I'm very underweight.
My family keeps getting on at me about being anorexic. I don't believe I am, for two main reasons. Firstly, I don't think I'm fat. In fact, I know I'm too thin. Second, I don't want to lose weight at all.
The doctor doesn't listen, just pushes more tablets at me. I don't know what advice I need. I don't think it's anorexia, but what is it? Literally have absolutely no appetite and eating makes me feel ill. Am aware that my stomach has shrunk probably but no idea how to get out of this hole.
My family keeps getting on at me about being anorexic. I don't believe I am, for two main reasons. Firstly, I don't think I'm fat. In fact, I know I'm too thin. Second, I don't want to lose weight at all.
The doctor doesn't listen, just pushes more tablets at me. I don't know what advice I need. I don't think it's anorexia, but what is it? Literally have absolutely no appetite and eating makes me feel ill. Am aware that my stomach has shrunk probably but no idea how to get out of this hole.
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I'm not a doctor, but you're right in the sense that that doesn't sound like anorexia. Especially seeing as you seem so compus-mentus about the whole thing.
Anorexia usually includes a body dysmorphia where you have almost a pathalogical hallucination/delusion over what you really look like (hence why you can't convince an anorexic they are thin).
Why don't you seek a second medical opinion?
How old are you?
Have you tried to explain in detail to doctors why you don't want to eat (feeling sick and so forth)?
I agree with Hypnodisc, you don't describe anorexia in a way that I have seen before. I can understand how anxiety and poor appetite go togther though, that makes loads of sense to me. But maybe your eating/digesting problems aren't psychological, maybe its a medical thing? You need to find a GP you are comfortable talking to and who will listen to you with fresh ears I think.
Why not try some tasty junk food to get yourself going? It might be nutritionally crap, but at least it'll provide a kickstart.
I'm also thinking depression. It can have a huge impact on hunger and appetite.
Some info, male/female? tall/short? how heavy ? Smoker ? Drinker ?
If you are losing weight fast please see your doctor and explain what you've told us in this thread. It can actually be very dangerous to suddenly increase or change your eating habits after long periods of restriction, you'll be at risk of re-feeding syndrome, so you will need to be monitored by your GP. They might start you off with build-up drinks.
Again I am not a doctor but have worked with anorexic kids . Anorexia is not always Anorexia Nervosa .Anorexia is a medical term for not eating enough and no appetite
.Anorexia nervosa has a differnt cause , but anorexia of any kind is a worry . You need to recognise that your anorexia is a cause for concern and needs adressing , it may not be the kind you hear about and read about but it still needs to be treated .
Maybe you could try to drink hi cal drinks to help your self , or eat small amounts of breakfast bars etc that will ease you into a better pattern ,
Ask for help and see who can be a guide but first you must acknowledge that you under eat and see it as anorexia .
Loss of appetite is a very common sympton of various mental illnesses so it may just be that. and medication for mental illnesses often has side-effects such as nausea so that can make it worse too.
To rather a lot of the general public underweight means anorexic, so thin people always get accused of it. and psychologists tend to be a bit hopeless and have a fondness for coming up with as many random diagnosises as possible so they love to accuse their skinny patients of being anorexic too. Falsely accusing someone of having a random mental illness doesn't exactly help them get better.
As another poster said anorexia is the term for continuous weightloss thats of concern, its not just a term for an eating disorder based around thinking you are fat. It may be that he's just labelled it and your friends/family have got the wrong end of the stick.
I'd speak to him about the anti-depressants and see what he says, maybe changing will help you kick start your metabolisim again
I hope that you find something to help you soon.
xxx
I had exactly the same problem, and no it's not anorexia, although doctor can call being in an anorexic state when you are incredibly underweight, particularly if you are missing periods, it has nothing to do with the eating disorder per se.
It's pure and simple "depression", and that's exactly why doctors keep pushing tablets at you, when you find the right medication your appetite will came back and you will gain weight. Don't think when i say depression I mean you are crying in corners and feel suicidal, panic attacks anxiety are signs of what doctors call depression and are treated with anti-depressants. When your brain has hormone unbalances, it can affect your digestive tract, your heart etc etc, in theory Anti-depressants will correct that. You just need a bit of patience till you find the right ones.
So Yes the OP has anorexia most likely not anorexia nervosa .
You learn something new every day!