by pinback » Sun Aug 02, 2020 5:01 am
The Mayo Clinic website lists physical and behavioral symptoms of anorexia. I don't have any of the physical symptoms, probably because I'm at a normal weight for my height. But let's check the behavioral symptoms for red flags, and I''ll be completely open and honest with you fine folks here, because you deserve that sort of honesty:
Severely restricting food intake through dieting or fasting
Absolutely.
Exercising excessively
Yes, until my knee blew out.
Bingeing and self-induced vomiting to get rid of food, which may include the use of laxatives, enemas, diet aids or herbal products
No bingeing/vomiting, but I have been using laxatives "recreationally", to get things outta there as quickly as possible.
Preoccupation with food, which sometimes includes cooking elaborate meals for others but not eating them
Preoccupied, yes, cooking without eating it, rarely.
Frequently skipping meals or refusing to eat
Of course.
Denial of hunger or making excuses for not eating
Almost constantly.
Eating only a few certain "safe" foods, usually those low in fat and calories
Unless I'm forced to due to social reasons, yes.
Adopting rigid meal or eating rituals, such as spitting food out after chewing
No.
Not wanting to eat in public
No, other than not wanting to go to restaurants because it's hard to find super-low-calorie stuff there.
Lying about how much food has been eaten
Occasionally.
Fear of gaining weight that may include repeated weighing or measuring the body
110%. I'm on the scale multiple times a day, almost every time I pass by it, just to check. I've made a little game out of guessing down to the tenth of a pound where I am at that point in the day, and have gotten pretty good at it.
Frequent checking in the mirror for perceived flaws
Not checking for flaws necessarily, just seeing how things are going.
Complaining about being fat or having parts of the body that are fat
Only "jokingly" when Kathy says I look gaunt and sickly.
Covering up in layers of clothing
Hell no, that's one of the few joys I've taken from this, wearing smaller, lighter clothing.
Flat mood (lack of emotion)
Well, yes, but that's just normal.
Social withdrawal
See above.
Irritability
That's what the nicotine gum is for.
Insomnia
A little bit, but that's what the Benadryl is for.
Reduced interest in sex
Eh.
The Mayo Clinic website lists physical and behavioral symptoms of anorexia. I don't have any of the physical symptoms, probably because I'm at a normal weight for my height. But let's check the behavioral symptoms for red flags, and I''ll be completely open and honest with you fine folks here, because you deserve that sort of honesty:
[i]Severely restricting food intake through dieting or fasting[/i]
Absolutely.
[i]Exercising excessively[/i]
Yes, until my knee blew out.
[i]Bingeing and self-induced vomiting to get rid of food, which may include the use of laxatives, enemas, diet aids or herbal products[/i]
No bingeing/vomiting, but I have been using laxatives "recreationally", to get things outta there as quickly as possible.
[i]Preoccupation with food, which sometimes includes cooking elaborate meals for others but not eating them[/i]
Preoccupied, yes, cooking without eating it, rarely.
[i]Frequently skipping meals or refusing to eat[/i]
Of course.
[i]Denial of hunger or making excuses for not eating[/i]
Almost constantly.
[i]Eating only a few certain "safe" foods, usually those low in fat and calories[/i]
Unless I'm forced to due to social reasons, yes.
[i]Adopting rigid meal or eating rituals, such as spitting food out after chewing[/i]
No.
[i]Not wanting to eat in public[/i]
No, other than not wanting to go to restaurants because it's hard to find super-low-calorie stuff there.
[i]Lying about how much food has been eaten[/i]
Occasionally.
[i]Fear of gaining weight that may include repeated weighing or measuring the body[/i]
110%. I'm on the scale multiple times a day, almost every time I pass by it, just to check. I've made a little game out of guessing down to the tenth of a pound where I am at that point in the day, and have gotten pretty good at it.
[i]Frequent checking in the mirror for perceived flaws[/i]
Not checking for flaws necessarily, just seeing how things are going.
[i]Complaining about being fat or having parts of the body that are fat[/i]
Only "jokingly" when Kathy says I look gaunt and sickly.
[i]Covering up in layers of clothing[/i]
Hell no, that's one of the few joys I've taken from this, wearing smaller, lighter clothing.
[i]Flat mood (lack of emotion)[/i]
Well, yes, but that's just normal.
[i]Social withdrawal[/i]
See above.
[i]Irritability[/i]
That's what the nicotine gum is for.
[i]Insomnia[/i]
A little bit, but that's what the Benadryl is for.
[i]Reduced interest in sex[/i]
Eh.