lack of understanding

im really sick of it. If someone begins to talk about depression, psychosis, mania... *anything* else, people are so supportive.. offer help and understanding... generally at least. i don't hear people telling them to snap out of it

BuT.... mention what is happening with an ED and bam!

"you scare me"(ignorance scares me)

"the body needs fuel" (yes... i took biology too!)

"you have to stop doing that" (right. you first. you just stop being depressed and i'll just stop this)

"why dont you just eat something?"(hadn't thought of that... duh me, thanks)

"fluff, you can't keep doing this" (great, i'll use my magic wand now)

Eating DISORDERS... meaning, not just some super cool new choice we're all dying to try.

it's gotten so that the few of us who know each other have to huddle, PM or hide what we're talking about so as not to draw fire. It's discrimination. We can't share how things are going, how we have fallen down or how we have succeeded. We can't share how hard it is or just share at all...

i mentioned to DocJohn about having an ED chat... and he said all we need is a volunteer to host it... or someone to be nominated or whatever. He posted that in general.

maybe then people can relate their experiences without the fear of what the others present will say... we can't begin to fix this... we can't begin to help ourselves if we can't begin to share without judgement and "shoulds."

we need to be able to speak and not have to be made to feel ashamed.

(((((((((((((((((((((( fluff ))))))))))))))))))))))

I have an eating d/o too, and I really hear you. It does seem impossible for people who don't have one to understand. And it's impossible to "explain", so it's just an impasse. Seriously frustrating.

Even my T will say "well, just EAT SOMETHING". He may end up consulting with an eating d/o person about how to help me. He's a trauma specialist - with very little eating d/o experience.

No wise words here - just wanted to tell you how much I totally understand where you're coming from.

Just wanted to add that I find reading eating d/o stuff super, super triggering for me, so I'm not usually on this board. And I apologize, because I would like to be able to be a support for people. It's just SO easy for me to slip into really bad behaviors really quickly.

completely understood, love. Triggers are triggers, no objections there. i avoid areas and topics as well. We do what we can.

you're right. you cannot explain... but maybe, just maybe some people can learn that the biggest step to changing this is not being ashamed... being able to share... we aren't committing a crime.. we're affected by a disorder. i have yet to meet anyone with an ED (whether they knew i had one or not) who didn't wish they weren't this way.

yes, sometimes there is temporary excitement even... we get giddy.. we lost weight or whatever.. but it isn't lost on anyone how we got there.

thanks for being supportive earthmamma

((((((((((((Fluff)))))))))))))

I think having an ED chat group would be a great thing. If nobody decides to do it, I'm willing to host... but I admit, I don't know as much about EDs as I should (considering I've got disordered eating... but no official diagnosis of an ED).

It's the same thing with something like self-injuring... people just don't seem to understand, or they don't want to understand - they just want the problem to be "fixed" and for it to go away. I guess it's because there are so many meds that can fix/manage different psychological conditions... but it's harder with an addiction/disorder like this.

I told my therapist yesterday... that since he was so "XXXX"... om my DID.. and.. so facinated by that..

well.... with my ED... he wouldn't have a patient to treat if he didn't get going and.. help me..

deaf ears... that is how it falls...

grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.....

grrrr... time.. if i could guarantee the time i would host a group.. but until my work life settles down, i am not able to.

i'm so sorry freewill... thats disappointing. Why is this so hard for people to accept and be compassionate about? Thats all we need... compassion.