I just can't.

I'm naturally very thin and I was informed that I'm considered extremely underweight. I've been trying so hard to gain weight, drinking nutrition bars and drinks, but I've found that I've been slipping, and just eating those and not eating any other food. The idea of food just makes me want to throw up, I just can't make myself, I just can't. What do I do? Is there any way to change this repulsion towards food and increase my appetite? Or should I just be hospitalized for my weight. Cause the urge to starve myself is there, and it's sort of strong, especially right now that my appetite is basically nonexistent... I know how easy it would be for me to go that way...

Meh, this should be in the depression category and not eating disorder category, I assure you. If I had anything to live for and didn't have this hopeless darkness hanging over my shoulders all the time, I would want to gain a lot of weight, but it's just seemingly impossible for me to achieve that.

[the abyss]

miso soup, spirallina tablets, yoghurt , helped my sister who has anorexia at least these things will sustain you , and are full of nutrients, hope this helps a little .
take care

[Rohag]

How's your hydration? I've read (I do not know if this is established) that dehydration can suppress appetite.

It's fine, I'm hydrated.

[nk001]

I can relate to how you feel; I have difficulty eating as well. I think that it is an important indicator that I need help. If I ate normally, I think it there would be less motivation to improve my sense of well-being.

[Nammu]

It's kind of a sinking spiral, which came first? The lack of appetite or depression? I had the same issues when I started on this merry go round and found they both had to be treated together to make progress. When I'm depressed I just don't think about food and once I get food deprived it deepens the depression. I found it most helpful to be inpatient where they had understanding of both issues and could remind me to eat small healthy snacks without pushing the guilt buttons. Personally I didn't like the eating disorder units because all I thought about then was food and it seemed to increase my fears. But that's me. You just need to find out what will work best for you.

[Fuzzybear]

[gracez]

yes, i also hardly eat, or go thru a period where i do and then because of self-hate or thinking i'm worthless, i stop. i agree w what someone said its a vicious cycle. i'd never experienced this till i became depressed and now its really a habit.

my only suggestion is - do you eat around other people? cause i happily do that. its just on a day to day basis i eat meals alone.

xxx

grace

I hate eating around other people.

Originally Posted by sidestepper

It's kind of a sinking spiral, which came first? The lack of appetite or depression? I had the same issues when I started on this merry go round and found they both had to be treated together to make progress. When I'm depressed I just don't think about food and once I get food deprived it deepens the depression. I found it most helpful to be inpatient where they had understanding of both issues and could remind me to eat small healthy snacks without pushing the guilt buttons. Personally I didn't like the eating disorder units because all I thought about then was food and it seemed to increase my fears. But that's me. You just need to find out what will work best for you.

I guess the depression came first. But I think as a young child before I was even depressed I was kind of indifferent towards food. I'm basically only thinking about food now, trying to gain weight but still not being able to eat as much as I need to because I really just don't give a damn about eating. It sucks.

[
I feel bad you're going through so much. I can understand that depression can take away or increase your appetite (we all react differently). Have you tried making a list of all your favorite foods? Perhaps you can find a way to incorporate your top favorites into an entire day's meal plan. Forget about what you're "supposed" to have for each meal. Maybe you can jump start your appetite by eating the things you actually like. For example, if you don't like cereal for breakfast (a traditional breakfast item), then have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich (if that's what you like). If you don't want meat and potatoes for dinner, have a bowl of rice pudding with cinnamon sprinkled on top, yum. Try to think of things that will get your taste buds kicking into gear. Don't worry about how much is going in. Gradually, you may begin to expand and add more foods to the menu. Sometimes, we need to go off the beaten path to get back on track. Let us know how you're doing.

I don't really have any favorite foods or things I like right now. I just don't feel like eating anything honestly. I'm basically just drinking nutrition drinks now, can't even bother to eat. I hope this makes sense...

[monkeybruv]

I have this same problem, it's a vicious cycle because feeling bad = not hungry = don't eat = eating becomes a big deal = feeling worse = throwing up = eating seems even more stressful = avoid eating = feeling worse...you know the deal. What helped me was to think of things I can stomach and just make sure you're stocked up on it. Chocolate is something that's really easy for me to eat so I make sure I have a lot of it around. I try and give myself a schedule for eating meals and a deadline: if I've not eaten it in an hour, it gets thrown out. Otherwise I'm forcing myself to eat cold nasty food when I don't want to and that strengthens the association of food with nasty stuff. I live in a student budget and when I just couldn't stomach any more cheap food I just told myself my health comes first and went to the shop and bought anything that took my fancy. I stopped worrying about eating 'proper meals' or feeling bad if I didn't manage to eat a lot and that helped a lot with the stress that was killing my appetite. I also try to have eaten 3 meals by 6pm so I can have the rest of the evening to de-stress or snack on bonus calories.

I too got hooked on meal replacement drinks but I figured out they actually make my tummy even more uncomfortable, so I'll only have them in an emergency before bed once I've at least attempted to eat three solid food meals - if I have them in the morning I don't want to eat actual food.

Another weird tip which I'm not exactly sure is healthy...you know when you're learning to ice skate and you can't get better until you've fallen down once? Because before that you were too scared to get any momentum up because you were worried falling would be horrible? Well, when I think food is absolutely disgusting but I know I need to eat, I just shove it down me anyway. If it makes me throw up, I find that immediately after I'm able to eat without a problem. Must be the endorphins released or something.

I hope you'll get over this soon, it really is a horrible problem to have. It will get easier - the less you eat the more your metabolism slows down and the less you want to eat. Once you start eating little and often your appetite will probably start to return.

It's just hard for me to not feel bad about not eating a lot, because I'm about twenty pounds underweight and I hate being thin so much.

I'll try that though. I'll just have to make myself. It's disgusting and I don't care for eating at all but I'll have to. Thank you.