[spoiltmom]

I have an ED and it's been kicking my butt for almost a year now. I'm in therapy for it and my psychiatrist added Topomax to my meds. Both have helped but its still such a struggle

I find a lot of my food addiction is sort of fueled by my mood. If I'm hypomanic I'm FINE. Completely focused and able to resist. If I'm the least bit depressed then food is all I can think about.

I see my dr again in a few weeks. I'm on 200 of Lamictal for my BP and 40 of Prozac for my anxiety. Should I ask about increasing the Lamictal?

Any other advice for dealing with eating disorders?

[hamster-bamster]

I have an ED in complete remission. I eat normally.

Your post worries me, in that I suspect that your therapist is not doing a good job, because you mentioned "food addictions". It is quite controversial whether food addictions exist (likely, no) and, at any rate, it is not a helpful way of talking about food.

The only solution for any kind of eating disorder is normal eating, also sometimes called intuitive eating. Do yourself a favor and read up on those.

[hamster-bamster]

PS I would not go above 200mg of Lamictal

[Victoria'smom]

My ED cycles with my mood. When I was in a particularly bad spot and I wasn't communicating my therapist kept pushing "what can't I control" as I sat there silent getting angrier and angrier I finally screamed at her "my mood". I seriously had no idea that my ED is in response to my mood disorder. So aswwell as tracking my mood she tracks my eating disorder. My food chart goes directly to my therapist. I use to have a dietitian that was part of my team that was bad for me it may work better for you. It seems very complicated. For me if I ever refuses to eat or drink for more than a couple of days I'm suppose to go to the crisis unit because my mood would be out of control.

[BlackPup]

I have binge eating problems when depressed. It's probably exacerbated by dieting to lose weight gained while on psych meds. Last depression I put on 8 kg due to binging on chocolate and fast food. I wouldn't go on topamax again. It made me really dopey and forgetful. I use myfitnesspal an online calorie counter and find that if I'm tracking I eat better because I like the numbers to be right. I also find it motivates me to exercise. But it only works when I'm actually using it! If I stop tracking I go back to old habits after a couple of weeks. When I'm depressed my Will power decreases and I'm likely to stop tracking and binge
If your still depressed maybe you need to add in an antidepressant as well.

[spoiltmom]

Hamster: how long did it take you to be able to eat normally??

I keep reading that I need to eat normally and eat intuitively. I'm not sure if I will ever be able to do that

[hamster-bamster]

Originally Posted by spoiltmom

Hamster: how long did it take you to be able to eat normally??

I keep reading that I need to eat normally and eat intuitively. I'm not sure if I will ever be able to do that

Well, let me see... I stopped tracking, stopped avoiding carbs (i do make sure that I eat protein and most of the carbs I eat are complex, but that is just common sense), stopped buying green tea (I will drink what I have bought, but from now on will only buy black tea that I like and not push myself to drink green tea that I don't like but that is supposed to boost metabolism), stopped drinking fat free milk whose taste I didn't like... but these things happened at different points in time, because I was not on a deliberate path towards normal eating but rather just giving up things after becoming exasperated... and as a result - boom, I am eating normally.

[hamster-bamster]

Also, I have a jar with ginger candy in the kitchen and suck on hard ginger candy when I start becoming nauseous from anxiety. That allows me to quell the nausea and then eat a meal or a snack. Otherwise it is a downward spiral - I wouldn't eat and even drink when anxious, and not receiving fluids and nutrients surely exacerbates anxiety.

[hamster-bamster]

Ginger People Gin-Gins Natural Hard Candy - 3 pack - 3oz Bags - Great for morning sickness and nausea!: Amazon.com: Grocery & Gourmet Food

[spoiltmom]

Also, I don't think my therapist is helping. At first she was but now not so much. It's costing me a lot of money so I'm thinking about not going for a while.

What do you think?

In my area there is only ONE eating disorder therapists and she doesn't take insurance.

My insurance does cover eating disorders, it's just that she doesn't take insurance so I'm paying $100 per visit. Sometimes I go twice a month, sometimes 4 times a month.

[hamster-bamster]

And then you have to deal with submitting the bills to get reimbursed?

[spoiltmom]

yes and no. I have a $1000 out of network deductible. So after I spend a $1000 I get reimbursed 70%.

[Victoria'smom]

I do not go to an eating disorder therapist. I wouldn't go to one if I had the option. Co disorders are much more complicated. When I first walked into my therapist I told her that my eating disorder is mine and its a topic that I will not talk about and she is not allowed to take it away. I ended up educating her on my eating disorder. To the point that she looked at ed lifestyle, and pro-ed sites. I explained why I don't feel it's trauma based and so on. I don't feel that I could have explained how exactly ED affects me if she was an eating disorder specialist. Given that I have lived with this since the age of 8 she has advocate for me to keep my eating disorder at times. Telling my husband he knew I had ED and it came long before him and if he keeps arguing with me about it will be there long after him. However she is the first to pull me out of programs or block me from programs that may trigger me. Like I said she's not an ed specialist but loves crisis care. I feel much better with a crisis care therapist as I don't worry about getting referred to someone else, she takes my psychosis and episodes in stride calming me down from my fears (and my husband's) instead of stressing herself and making sure that no matter what state I am in my wishes that I have when stable are followed.

In August I will be looking for a new therapist and I am going to be looking for a therapist that has extensive background in crisis care.

[Axiom]

Hi! I don't have an eating disorder per se, but I have a LOT of problems with eating. I think my sensation of hunger has been damaged a lot over the years from poor eating habits. I am extremely underweight, so it's not the same problems that you are having if I understood you correctly. But I have a tip or two, that I think is vital and is important no matter what sort of problems you have with food: Make eating a routine. Don't over-eat or forget to eat, but eat often so that you don't go hungry. When I go hungry for a long time I usually end up over-eating, which isn't good and it upsets the stomach. And eat food with lots of fiber, that is good for your stomach AND it reduces the feeling of hunger. I wish you well and hope you find a solution to your problems.