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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 5 of 5. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by tjeffries on October 5, 2005, at 5:57:46
I am seeing a counselor for Binge/Emotional Eating. She tells me this is an eating disorder.... I am going to be meeting with a nutritionist, and also doing an eight week treatment plan, every Mon. evening with other women who have the same problem. We are going to learn how to handle and deal with our eating problem, and learn ways of coping, and whatever else is taught in the class. OK, that is all good and I am happy about it.... my problem is this: My husband, son, and Dad, THINK IT IS A COP OUT... they don't believe in this disease, and say I am using it as an excuse to be overweight, and because I am too weak to stick to a diet. Believe me, I have tried dieting, so many times.... been on and off WW, and lost and gained.... and it no longer works for me. I can diet one day max, and by that nite I am eating something I shouldn't. I feel hungry all the time, and whenever I am mad, or hurt, or anything, I run to food. Does anyone else have this problem where people in their lives don't believe this is a problem.... I feel SO VERY ALONE. and like I am a failure or a loser. Please respond.... thank you.
Posted by maxime on October 5, 2005, at 11:45:46
In reply to NO ONE UNDERSTANDS, posted by tjeffries on October 5, 2005, at 5:57:46
Well it IS an eating disorder. You should go to www.somethingfishy.org and print up some information for them.
You are not a failure or a loser and it's great that you are seeking help for this. You should be PROUD of yourself. It's your family that should be ashamed.
Hugs,
Maxime
> I am seeing a counselor for Binge/Emotional Eating. She tells me this is an eating disorder.... I am going to be meeting with a nutritionist, and also doing an eight week treatment plan, every Mon. evening with other women who have the same problem. We are going to learn how to handle and deal with our eating problem, and learn ways of coping, and whatever else is taught in the class. OK, that is all good and I am happy about it.... my problem is this: My husband, son, and Dad, THINK IT IS A COP OUT... they don't believe in this disease, and say I am using it as an excuse to be overweight, and because I am too weak to stick to a diet. Believe me, I have tried dieting, so many times.... been on and off WW, and lost and gained.... and it no longer works for me. I can diet one day max, and by that nite I am eating something I shouldn't. I feel hungry all the time, and whenever I am mad, or hurt, or anything, I run to food. Does anyone else have this problem where people in their lives don't believe this is a problem.... I feel SO VERY ALONE. and like I am a failure or a loser. Please respond.... thank you.
Posted by crazy teresa on October 5, 2005, at 11:47:48
In reply to NO ONE UNDERSTANDS, posted by tjeffries on October 5, 2005, at 5:57:46
Food is my comfort. And if I diet, I become obsessed with food. You're definitely not alone.
You go to the counselor, your meetings, etc., and don't worry about what your family says. They are entitled to think whatever they want to-- it's their right to make their own decisions. That doesn't mean you have to like or agree with them. I know it's really hard without your family's support. But you can come here for the support you need apart from what you'll get in your program.
Make up your mind that you're worth the effort to be successful. YOU ARE!!!
crazy teresa
Posted by Racer on October 6, 2005, at 22:50:07
In reply to NO ONE UNDERSTANDS, posted by tjeffries on October 5, 2005, at 5:57:46
> My husband, son, and Dad, THINK IT IS A COP OUT... they don't believe in this disease, and say I am using it as an excuse to be overweight, and because I am too weak to stick to a diet.
I've found that duct tape can be wonderful in this sort of situation: just tape their mouths shut and tape them to their chairs, and they won't bother you nearly as much...
Seriously? Yeah, there's a lot of that that goes around. I get it coming and going, since I have been on drugs that caused massive weight gain, only to go off the ADs and lose all that and more. My family will scream about my anorexia at one end, then scream again when the drugs make me fat. You know the one thing they won't do, though? Learn. Educate themselves. Shut their mouths about it. While I could go on for a great deal of time about this, I won't. You already know the answers, right?
OK, just in case you had a different answer in mind, here's mine: there's nothing we can do to 'make' them cooperate or understand or educate themselves or any of that. What we can do is learn ourselves that these are legitimate disorders, that they really aren't about Bad Character, or Weakness, or Laziness, or any of those Character Flaws that we like to accuse ourselves of having. We have to learn to respect this ourselves so strongly that we don't start to waver when someone else tries to tell us that it's just an excuse.
Remember, they wouldn't say it was my own fault for being "too thin" if I had cancer instead of anorexia nervosa, right? They wouldn't call you weak if you blew up from steroid treatment, right? They're just ignorant of certain facts. We're not ignorant of those facts. Just work on your own issues, and do your best to avoid internalizing what they say to you.
I know it's hard -- believe me. Good luck.
Posted by Poet on October 8, 2005, at 17:07:58
In reply to NO ONE UNDERSTANDS, posted by tjeffries on October 5, 2005, at 5:57:46
Some people will never understand which is why very few people know I am bulimic. My husband knows, but thinks I haven't binged/purged in years. Actually I did it last night and he was home at the time. Had I told him, I knew he wouldn't get it. What I need is self esteem... what I need to do is stop doing/thinking... Well, duh.
Share with us. We understand. Share with your counselor and your group. I wouldn't share with anyone who won't be supportive if I were you.
Poet
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