Anorexia/Eating Disorders/anorexic/bulimic?

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Expert: Melissa - 6/8/2008


Question
Is it possible to be both anorexic and bulmic?I barely eat anything,and when I do,it's a little,and I throw it up.I've looked it up online and it said that bulimia is when you eat large amounts of food and throw it up.But,I found nothing about eating little amounts of food and throwing it up.I starve myself and feel fat everytime I eat and usually throw up whatever I eat.I even feel fat when eating a little salad.And the misperceived reflection thing confuses me.I see myself as fat.There's no way I'm really not.How does that work?I mean,I'm not obese or anything,but I really see my stomach as round and my thighs as kinda big.Like,my stomach hangs off my pants.How is that not fat?Well,I mean,that could be disproportioned.But,I don't think I'm right for what I see in the mirror.I think it's actually accurate.My arms are the only thing that are kind of scrawny.I mean,I think they're a little fat,but I don't know.I'm bony,yet flabby.I can't explain it.Please help me.

Answer
Yes it is possible to be dual diagnosed with Anorexia and Bulimia. What you're describing sounds more like ED-NOS since as you mentioned, you are not eating large amounts of food. However, I am not a doctor and not qualified to make a diagnosis. If you would still like more information for your own personal use, I would recommend this website:
http://www.something-fishy.org/whatarethey/ednos.php
Hope that helps.

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Melissa

Expertise

I battled anorexia and bulimia for 6 years. I am not a doctor, but I learned a lot about the mental, emotional, and physical aspects of having an eating disorder and how scary it is to feel like you are alone in your illness. You are not alone. I can answer questions based on my experience with anything relating to anorexia and/or bulimia. I can provide information on treatment options, some specific treatment centers, resources that may help you find a treatment center, and my opinion on all of the above. I was a patient at a few outpatient and inpatient programs so I am happy to answer questions about those experiences. I am not affiliated with any of the resources I may provide. It’s strictly my opinion based on my experiences. I can NOT answer medical questions. I will NOT answer questions on how to become anorexic or bulimic or how to lose weight in an unhealthy matter.

Experience

I have recovered from a six year struggle with both anorexia and bulimia. I hope my experiences and the time I spent in and out of treatment will encourage others to never give up. I never thought I would or could recover because I couldn’t picture myself ever having a normal relationship with food. Since then, I have grown and learned that I can overcome what I once thought was impossible. Hold on to the idea that recovery is attainable!

Education/Credentials
I am attending college for an unrelated degree.

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