Lived Experience Forum

[Bow]

Hi @Eden1919  wanting to see how you are doing today? And give some support if I can. EDs are so difficult to navigate and I am really sorry that this is something that you have battled with for such a long time and that despite your efforts to get help, you haven't found any. Please don't give up. 

It took me a while for the right person to hear me. I had 2 gps dismiss me, they didn't even care to ask me any questions or check me over medically, probably because I too live in a larger body. Little did they, or I know, how medically unstable I was at the time and I ended up in hospital for a week. 

Can I encourage you to keep looking for a good gp that will hear you. Unfortunately EDs are so complex and a lot of the medical professionals are uneducated on them. I know that you mentioned that you have reached out to the butterfly foundations, did they give you a list of local professionals that are experienced in EDs? They can also provide you with information to take along to your gp if you feel your gp doesn't understand. 

Have you seen a dietitian? I think there is a misconception that dietitian will just tell you want to eat. That's what I thought when I first started seeing mine anyways. She has done far more than just help me set up a meal plan. Before I started seeing my current psychologist, my dietitian helped me more than my psychologist. 

There is help out there @Eden1919  this is not something that you have to battle through on your own. It is very much a journey. I had a zoom appointment with my ED psychiatrist yesterday morning, she is a professor in EDs, this is where I hate that we have to be so anonymous in here! But she explained that EDs are like a game of snakes and ladders. Sometimes we journey along the board, we travel along well and go up the ladder and we keep climbing and sometimes we go down the snake.... she explained my recent hospital admission was one of them. But once we start recovery we never go back to the start. 

I still struggle a lot. I'm no where near the top of the board, I have weeks where I slide down numerous snakes and it feels like I'm at the bottom. But it just takes one goid conscious decision to step towards recovery and I can get moving again. 

Please keep reaching out, the right people are there waiting. Here if you ever want to talk. 💕

[Eden1919]

@Bow  the butterfly foundation couldnt find any providers in my area (i live in a small town with little resources) and the closest ones were in another state. I have asked multiple times to see a dietician and have been ignored everytime because my problems apperantly arent serious enough. I really dont have any hope left that help is out there for me maybe for some people but apperantly i am not one of them. thank you for your thoughtful post. 

[Bow]

I'm really sorry that your experiences have been so invalidated so much @Eden1919 . Even though you don't feel or can't see it, there is always hope and always help, I think sometimes we have to have other people hold that space for us for a while though. Sitting with you @Eden1919 

[Eden1919]

@Bow  thanks.