Posted by Racer on December 14, 2007, at 5:24:30
In reply to how do you know if you're bulimic? (ED trigger?), posted by deirdrehbrt on December 13, 2007, at 21:53:07
Well, you could look at the Four Ds:
Deviant
Dangerous
Dysfunctional
DistressIf a behavior involves all of these, it's probably a disorder. Not all that helpful, huh?
While the best known form of purging is self-induced vomiting, the actual definition is "inappropriate compensatory behavior" -- so excessive exercise counts as a form of purging. I guess I'd ask *why* you ride your bicycle so much? If it's an attempt to compensate for eating so much, then it's probably purging. If you ride because you enjoy it or enjoy the scenery, AND it's not interfering with other aspects of your life, then it might not be. I say "might not" rather than "isn't" because I don't know to what extent you might be in denial, saying that it's enjoyment, when there's that inner voice saying, "better enjoy it -- it's why I can keep eating..." (I've got those little voices -- I assume I'm not unique in that.)
As for the other part of it, if you've got bowel trouble, get that checked out. Trust me -- NOT something you want to play with. While I doubt that's actually purging-related -- unless you're doing something to help it along -- it's still potentially serious.
Frankly, the only part of your post that would worry me is that you say that you feel bad after you eat. That distress is a problem, in and of itself. It's worth exploring that in more depth.
By the way, you don't have to have a diagnosed -- or even diagnosable -- eating disorder to post about your distress here. If you find you're using food for emotional reasons, that's what this board is for. If you're not sure why you continue eating after you've had enough, or if you're not sure how to recognize hunger and satiety signals, those are things to discuss here. (Dieting, of course, goes to the Health board.)
So, to me, what you're describing doesn't sound like bulimia, but it does sound as though you've got something going on that bothers you. Maybe what you're doing really is purging, but that's not what it sounds as though you're doing from what you've written. How to tell whether or not you're having trouble? Well, most bulimics I've known have KNOWN that they have a problem. They may not have a name for it, but they've known that what they're doing is not normal, and they've known that it's a problem. I don't know if that helps you figure out your situation, but I hope so.
Hope that helps.
poster:Racer
thread:800685
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/eating/20070820/msgs/800717.html