Lately I have seen an uptick in clients who “look” fine on the outside need urgent medical care. This got me thinking about the lies that the eating disorder voice (“Ed” for short) tells us.
Ed wants to be in control (which is funny because most people with eating disorders think they are in control. Silly humans.) and will tell you lies to keep up the disease process.
Have you ever hear the voice in your head say:
“You’re not thin enough yet.”
“You are not sick enough/you’re not as sick as [other person].”
“Your heart rate is so low because you work out so much”
“You’re doing fine, you can [insert ED behavior] more [often/more strictly]”
“You’re the exception to the complications, it won’t happen to you.”
Or something similar?
These are often precursors to the downfall of health.
Recently, I saw someone who had been dealing with bulimia on top of being an athlete have such low iron that she needed an immediate blood transfusion in the emergency room (Thank you to the doctor I work closely with for catching that!). I had another client peeing reddish urine with a “puffy” body that she said was hot to the touch that we believe is doing damage to her kidneys (or maybe experiencing rhabdomyolysis) from restricting (she ended up in higher-level care). Another is having severe gastrointestinal issues that are most likely due to years of laxative abuse and restricting that was misdiagnosed as “gastroparesis” until she finally saw a specialist.
The thing that all of these clients had in common? They said they were “fine” and didn’t need to go to the doctor. They weren’t “that bad” in their ED behaviors.
This is what scares me. How many people are walking around with medical issues that they have become so used-to that it feels normal?
PSA: Tell all of your providers from primary care physician, to specialists to therapists and dietitians about your eating disorder. Yes, even if you haven’t told anyone else. We can’t help you if we don’t know what is going on, and some providers won’t ask.
If you are struggling with disordered eating please take this as your sign to make sure you are getting regular check-ups from medical professionals that understand eating disorders and the hidden dangers. It can save your life.
Don’t wait to seek help. You have to be your own health advocate.
