Anorexia/Eating Disorders/Am i anorexic??

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Expert: Jeanne Rust, PhD - 8/25/2009


Question
Hi,

For the past year i have slowly restricited my food intake, i now go 3 days with out food and will only break it if i cant avoid having food .eg. family meal. After i've eaten i feel really guilty. I'm 5"5 and 52.5kg, i think thats ok but my friends are concerned. Should i be concerned??

Thank you

Answer

Jeannie Rust, PhD
Dear Joanne,

Absolutely, you should be concerned!  You're not eating, dramatically reducing your food intake, and throwing your body into starvation mode.

The body is like a little stove.  Food is the fule the body uses.  When the stove isn't getting enough fuel, the body in order to keep on going (lungs, heart, etc.) begins to feed off of itself.  sounds disgusting, I know but that's what happens.  Muscle mass including the heart and the brain!  People when they get lower in weight literally cannot think clearly at all.  This is why someone who is 30 kg thinks they're fat!

Please think about getting into therapy and see if you can stop now before you become even more ill!

Let me know how you do!!

Warmly,
Jeannie Rust, PhD
www.mirasol.net
www.edrecovery.com

Jeanne Rust, PhD

Expertise

I have been treating eating disorders for over 25 years and I have a doctorate in clinical psychology. I am an expert in anorexia, bulimia and binge eating disorders and in co-occurring disorders as well -- depression, anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, etc. I was the official eating disorder therapist for the University of Arizona athletic department and love working with girls and women of all ages! 12 years ago I started my own treatment centers in Arizona where we treat adolescents and adults. I love working with people and have been helping people online since 1994. My hearts go out to the people out there who are unable to find help, who aren't sure whether they need help, and who don't have much of an understanding of the terrible consequences, emotionally and physically, that go hand in hand with the eating disorder. I view eating disorders as coping mechanisms that people use when they are under stress. I believe that eating disorders most times have many similarities whether it is anorexia, bulimia, or binge eating. The good news is that people can heal from an eating disorder and learn to create the lives they would like to live.

Experience

I have 25 years of experience in treating eating disorders of all kinds. I also do consultations for people who are starting treatment centers.

Education/Credentials
Northwestern University -- BA Masters in Counseling Doctorate in Clinical Psychology -- Saybrook institute

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