I don't although I really struggle with the overeating due to Seroquel BUT

I just wanted to give you a big hug sweetie.... I'm sorry that you have to deal with this....xo

Stress?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9H9qTdserM

Food is your mother, I've been told many times in recent years. A bowl of soup when you're sick is historically what loving people do for you to make you feel better. I haven't asked a lot of questions or even googled different theories so it ends there for me. I know anorexia wasn't about weight loss for me, it was controlling the one thing I could control in a chaotic home as a teen. I controlled my weight, water and food intake, who knew, which clothes worked, everything concerning what not eat entailed.

My mother didn't make breakfast or send lunches to school when I was too young to do it myself. Now between 10 and 11 in the morning, back when I would be starving and would steal other kids food from their lunches, I still to this day want to eat and eat and eat all different types of food. Even when I'm full I'm not content for those hours. Tbh it's 11:30 here now and just finished more than I physically needed again.

Me me me! *waves hand*

I call it DRED _--- Dad-related Eating Disorder --- but realistically, it's just Stress.

I don't want to be skinnier. I hate throwing up. I love food. I want it to stick around. I was hungry so much as a kid (Dad played food control games atop poverty)... Yes, my inclination is to want to be thinner. But not *that* thin, if that makes sense. I flunk tests for anorexia/ED.

BUT when upset... if I eat, I suffer serious GI distress atop my stress. It's not that I want to live on water and nibbles of soda crackers. It's that I don't have much choice. I'd love to eat a nice salad and a good solid meal. I *can't*. It's not all mental. I mean, the stress is, but the effect is *physical*.

And it is true I have the paternal voice "fat-ass" dinging in my ears. Making sure we had less food, etc., and more, he was very food-controlling and weight-disrespecting, so I am primed for Anorexia in particular.... except for hating being so skinny I grew up being taunted for it.

But where others eat I won't/can't. And I lose weight --- or used to before PTSD medss --- so readily that being underweight was my "normal". I fought to gain weight, keep it. (Then was told by total strangers at a clothing shop I'd look great if I was 20 pounds lighter. I fought to get and keep those pounds, dammit! They were my success over the DadVoice and the StressStomach and...)

No name for this, either, but every shrink agrees I'm not anorexic/bulimic/ED by th eusual defintions. I avoid food when stressed b/c it'll make me feel sick. Not b/c I'm trying to lose weight.

Did any of that make sense?

Much support, Arfie. We're not in the textbooks, and that nebulous "they" can get very upset.

Oh yeah. I don’t eat meals at all anymore except on rare occasions. My stress has caused a forty pound weight loss since my wife died. I graize now. Bits of thisnor that. Anything too much and I’m praying to the porcelain god too. Triple hugs. My docs are concerned it is eating disorder but they haven’t gone so far as to pick one yet. In my case , I think they feel this way because I intentionally overate to be unattractive to my abusers when I was younger. I was a kid and didn’t realize it was about power not attraction then. So the doctors think I am inclined to lean towards eating disorders to manage my stress. Triple hugs. It’s hard when the digestive system has plans of its own~

i know how much it hurts when your body won't let you eat and then if you do - oh the pain. i'm so sorry it is doing this to you, gentle hugs from over here

my body won't let me eat a lot of the time, it really hurts trying to cope with food. i've tried so many ways and eliminating things in my diet - anything the drs came up wiht, i've tried. trying to be gentle on myself as far as guilt now. as much as i can. it is a no fun zone, that's for certain. baby food pudding used to be a good choice years ago. i don't know now. and squash - steamed. simple. i don't know. wish i could help somehow, i care xo

I get nervous when the conversation turns to fasting. Is that how an alcoholic feels when they are listening to last night's party reviews?

GOOD NEWS!!! I nibbled peanut butter and crackers throughout the morning. They stayed down and I got a craving! 6" Subway turkey with all the veggies. 2" of the 6" down and holding!!! My favorite thing about this particular sandwich is that it nibbles well. It was cold to start with, so it doesn't get gross if you let it sit a while.

Mmm.... I think anorexia is the thought process of wanting to be thinner and doing x y z to achieve it.

It sounds like maybe your more of a stress eater? I know plenty who find it very hard to eat when they are stressed or upset.

When I was struggling emotionally I just ate anything I could manage, if I had been stronger I would have kept the discipline of healthy eating, but I wasn't.

Go gentle on yourself and nibble away, sometimes this makes you feel hungry

I have found ginger ale & saltines, pretzels and mild food I can graize on to be my friend during gi distress. It’s not like I try to avoid food. I just sometimes don’t really crave certain foods until I feel like it. I don’t know if it’s been from side effects from meds or what. (Incidentally I’m surprised I don’t have major eating issues given how food was handled growing up).

Good news on finding something you wanted to eat. I hope you find some more food that is like that for you.

The crackers I put the peanut butter on were soda crackers (saltines). I am convinced they soak up stomach acid.

I straight up forget to eat for days, maybe even weeks at a time. Even when I do remember, there are quite allot of distractions between my studio (or wherever) and the kitchen. One theory has it that I learned how to turn off my hunger pangs as a child and now they don't work like they are supposed to.

wow. that must be something to deal with. I am trying to lose weight myself, and if I get really stressed it's either binge on unhealthy trigger food, or smoke cigarettes. I'm trying to stop doing both of these things, Chantix, I tried before, I took it for one week and I didn't sleep for 3 weeks, other than an hour or two a night, if even that. I've never had issues with feeling like I'm going to throw up when I eat unless I was sick. It must be really hard to deal with.

Support and sympathies..... stress can do funny things to the human body, and everyone is different. My mom will eat through the whole fridge and I'm like you, I lose my appetite. Not to mention I have IBS and it tends to flare like a wild fire out of control when my stress is high. No solid food, please, juices, crackers, tea, and chips is all I'll want... and a pile of chocolate on the side. I'm petite enough as it is, so I hate it when my weight drops again. Sending boat loads of hugs your way.

Me! I relate to this sooo much. I always have the hardest time mustering up an appetite. I either forget to eat all around because my body is never hungry, or when I do remember I am just not in the mood. I always need to think of food as fuel now, to make sure I keep my body going. Other wise I think I would forget... I have honestly never talked about it before though so I am not sure if it is actually an eating disorder.

that, Swin, i do that. i totally forget to eat too. space it out. i think when i dissociate it goes w/everything else. if whatever makes me dissociate is stressful, it for sure goes. eating becomes nearly impossible.

who said gingera le and saltines : ) that works to get me started - helps so much. nibble nibble nibble.

it doesn't sound like it would be pain free, but it is. it doesn't hurt.

more hgus, arf

I have an eating disorder. I went through an eating disorder hospital treatment program about 26 Years ago now and have managed not to continue the negative behavior but it is still a constant battle. I think food issues no matter how they present themselves are made more complicated by the fact that we have to eat to stay alive. PTSD I think complicates this because for many of us food is a control. It is something we have control over where we had no control in the past. I no for myself that I have had to work very diligent in this department of my life. For me I made menu's and talked to a trusted person about it daily. I even had to set a clock at one point to remind myself to eat. Having a someone to call me on my negative behavior really helped me also. I have been recovering ever since I went into treatment and have managed to stop my self defeating behavior, deal with my emotions and my control issues that are part of my past. Eating disorders come in many different varieties not just anorexic and bulimia. Just remember your not alone and there is hope and healing.