Trigger warning Has anyone else dealt with disordered eating to cope with OCD? I’ve found that I often lose weight during a flare because I feel like I don’t deserve to eat. I’m wondering if this is common, it feels very isolating and lonely dealing with this.
For the longest time forcing myself to purge was one of my compulsive behaviors (regardless if I had eaten anything or not) and I would fear certain foods because the stupid OCD voice told me to
@Anonymous I’m so sorry you’ve dealt with this too🥺
Fucking mood
Hmmm, that’s an interesting question. 🤔 I have struggled with disordered eating but I’ve never thought about whether it was to help me cope with OCD. . I have, in the past, over-ate during depressive episodes. I have also tried to starve myself to lose weight so that I can validate my self worth by being thinner. I have a round face, so whenever I gain weight, my cheeks definitely show it. I have gained weight from overworking myself and not eating or sleeping enough. I think I’ve been at every size or shape imagine able. Perhaps, my obsession with my appearance could be related to my perfectionism OCD. One thing that has helped me is really focusing on changing the tiniest health habits first and focusing on the choices I can make in the present. Also, being more compassionate to myself
@iwanttogetbetter96 Actually, after some thought, I do remember having a compulsion that was related to my disordered eating. One thing I remember frequently doing to “assure” myself that I was not sick with ovarian cysts, pregnant, getting fat, or any of my ocd-theme-related concerns. . I would lift my shirt up in a mirror to check how my body (mostly stomach) looked. Sometimes even take pictures 🤳on my phone camera so that I can look at those later. I would do this in both private and public restroom mirrors 🪞 often. Fortunately, I do not do this compulsively anymore. It’s taken me years, but I have worked hard on building a stronger and healthier body with whome I have a better relationship with. 💕
During 7th and 8th grade I would throw up everything I would eat and starve myself because I thought my OCD was harming those around me and I couldn’t take it. So I didn’t feel like I deserved to eat or be alive. It took me passing out, time after time, to realize food was a necessity. (Stupid I know) but I felt like if I didn’t eat the guilt would go away. I’m now going into 10th grade and I still do it time to time. I don’t know if it’s OCD or what, but you are not alone in your struggles ❤️
I feel you. I get super depressed during a depressive/OCD induced episode and I either starve myself or I eat until my stomach hurts. It helps keep my mind off of things to just focus on that. Remembering my rock bottom (shitting my pants after only drinking coffee all day) helps with the under-eating aspect. But I haven’t gotten the reigns on my binge eating patterns. I get very obsessive with my body and it causes me to hurt myself in the process. I think realizing that these behaviors are OCD related helps me understand that I am in more control than I think. These compulsions become habits; second nature. Imagining my thoughts as a wave that passes over me helps. 🩷
It seems to me, that, OCD really flares up in times of idle, lonliness, boredom, etc. Perhaps its a result of lacking hobbies during down-time - too much time to just think. I'm a university student and it always seems to be the worst during the break periods like summer and winter break. I'm in a weird spot where the OCD feels normal and doesn't really bother me, but does at the same time. I don't find myself consumed by fear so much anymore, but more annoyed and frustrated at the presence of OCD thoughts. I experience religious OCD mostly, and yesterday I was less fearful and more just genuinely angry that I was having thoughts about hell and the afterlife. So it still feels like it can consume me at times, but I suppose ERP is also working in stopping the fear response. Perhaps, the anger I'm experiencing nowadays comes from being too hard on myself and impatient. I'm not sure. I'd love to know the community's thoughts on this.
Anyone else start to feel stomach pain/a churning in their stomach when their OCD starts worsening a bit? (TMI) sometimes it even causes the worst gas pain. I’m so sick of it. Not only am I aware of the thoughts but then I’ve also got physical symptoms to deal with too.
Hi guys! Hope everyone is having a beautiful week. I did therapy with a therapist on here and it helped me hugely, I had next to no OCD symptoms for almost 8 months, but recently it’s been flaring up again. I am much better at handling intrusive thoughts and going on with my day but I just have this huge fear of it getting as bad as it was last year. I was unable to get out of bed for 3 months because the intrusive thoughts were so debilitating. I never went to feel that way again. Does anyone have tips on how they deal with OCD flare ups and how they bring themselves back down to a happy medium? Thank you all 🤍
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