Do I Have an Eating Disorder? My Friends Say I am Too Skinny.
A reader asks if they have an eating disorder, feeling confused about gaining satisfaction from appearing skinnier despite knowing they are too thin, and constantly thinking about restricting food to avoid getting fat.
Answered by William Anderson, MA, LMHC
Question
Do I have an eating disorder? Even though I know I am very thin and most people say I am too skinny, I still feel good when I wake up in the morning and I look even skinnier than usual. I am kind of confused by this because I can see that this is messed up… I know it is not good, but when I get worse I feel better… WTF? I am not sure if this means I have an eating disorder because I am not blind to this situation. I can see that I am too skinny, but at the same time I am always thinking about not eating too much so I won't get fat.
It sounds like you might have a problem that could become very serious. You are aware that something is wrong. You know something is messed up and you are alarmed that you feel good when you get worse. You know there is something wrong with that. You know that you're too skinny and being worried about being fat doesn't make sense. You know that your friends are seeing something disordered and are worried about you.
Trust your friends who care about you and trust the insight you still have that tells you something is wrong. If you have an eating disorder and it continues to get worse, you may lose that good insight.
It is imperative that you consult with a medical professional that specializes in Eating Disorders as soon as possible. Go to an emergency room at a hospital or an acute care clinic if you can't get an appointment. Don't delay. If your body becomes too compromised by weight loss, you'll lose mental and physical functions that are important and may even become at risk of death. If the doctor says you have a serious problem, trust him or her and do exactly what they say. If your illness has progressed to a dangerous state, you may be tempted to discount what the doctor says, so that will be a red flag. Trust that the doctor has better insight into the situation than you do.
Make that appointment today and write back to tell me what happens.
About the Expert
William Anderson
MA, LMHC
Sarasota, Florida
Specialties
Compulsive Disorders, Life Coaching, Addiction or Substance Abuse, Eating Disorders, Other, Impulse Control Disorders, Thinking Disorders, Depression
License
my_license #MH7773