People struggling with Anorexia, Bulimia or any kind of disordered eating, people who self harm. I would also like to meet anyone who is trying to get better or who is helping others get better. Basically I'd like to meet anyone & everyone! lol
Recovery is possible!!!!!!
My friends are my herosalong withSurvivors of SI and EDI'm fortunate to have very supportive,understanding,caring friends. =) They help me all the time. They're always there. Many of my friends also were secretly suffering from SI. One of them is my best friend. She's not as bad as me though. She was the one who discovered my cuts and told my guidance counselor and english teacher whom are also my heroes.
Support code for this site:
Cortney's Personal MySpace:
Cortney's personal MySpace! Get to know her outside of her eating disorder and self injury problems!
Hugs for such a great site:
*hug*
AMAZING RECOVERY PROGRAM
Mercy Minestries--click here
Important Information
Self Injury
WHY Self Injure?Self-harm is a way of dealing with very strong emotions. For some people it gives the relief that crying may provide for the rest of us.Some self-harming people feel so angry and aggressive they can't control their emotions. They become afraid that they may hurt someone, so they turn their aggression inwards to get relief.People who self-harm are often labelled as 'attention seeking'. However, a person who self-harms may believe this is the only way to communicate their distress, and self-harm can be a hidden problem that goes on for years.It may start as a spur-of-the-moment outlet for anger and frustration (such as punching a wall) and then develop into a major way of coping with stress that, because it remains hidden, generates more stress.The severity of self-harm doesn't depend on the severity of a person's underlying problems. Usually, as time passes, the person who is self-harming becomes more accustomed to the pain they inflict on themselves and so has harm themselves more severely to get the same level of relief.This spiral can lead to permanent injury and serious infections.Am I alone?
You're not alone
If you self-harm as a way of coping with stressful or difficult feelings, such as anger, frustration or worthlessness, the important thing to realise is that you're not alone. Many people do this and come through it. There is help out there.The kind of personal exploration needed to resolve these issues is often best done with a mental health professional or counsellor. But this doesn't mean that people who self-harm can't take some control of their situation.Self-Help
Most people who self-harm want to stop hurting themselves and they can do this by trying to develop new ways of coping and communicating. However, some people feel a need not only to change their behaviour but also to understand why they have resorted to harming themselves.There are a number of techniques that can reduce the risk of serious injury or minimise the harm caused by self-inflicted injury. This list is not exhaustive - different people find different things useful in various situations. So if one doesn't work, try another.stop and try to work out what would have to change to make you no longer feel like hurting yourself
count down from ten (nine, eight, seven)
point out five things, one for each sense, in your surroundings to bring your attention on to the present
breathe slowly - in through the nose and out through the mouth.If you still feel like cutting, try:marking yourself with a red water-soluble felt-tip pen instead of cutting
a punch bag to vent the anger and frustration
plunging your hands into a bowl of ice cubes (not for too long, though)
rubbing ice where you'd otherwise cut yourselfEating DisordersAnorexia Nervosa
An estimated 0.5 to 3.7 percent of females suffer from anorexia nervosa in their lifetime.1 Symptoms of anorexia nervosa include:Resistance to maintaining body weight at or above a minimally normal weight for age and height
Intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat, even though underweight
Disturbance in the way in which one's body weight or shape is experienced, undue influence of body weight or shape on self-evaluation, or denial of the seriousness of the current low body weight
Infrequent or absent menstrual periods (in females who have reached puberty)
People with this disorder see themselves as overweight even though they are dangerously thin. The process of eating becomes an obsession. Unusual eating habits develop, such as avoiding food and meals, picking out a few foods and eating these in small quantities, or carefully weighing and portioning food. People with anorexia may repeatedly check their body weight, and many engage in other techniques to control their weight, such as intense and compulsive exercise, or purging by means of vomiting and abuse of laxatives, enemas, and diuretics. Girls with anorexia often experience a delayed onset of their first menstrual period.The course and outcome of anorexia nervosa vary across individuals: some fully recover after a single episode; some have a fluctuating pattern of weight gain and relapse; and others experience a chronically deteriorating course of illness over many years. The mortality rate among people with anorexia has been estimated at 0.56 percent per year, or approximately 5.6 percent per decade, which is about 12 times higher than the annual death rate due to all causes of death among females ages 15-24 in the general population.6 The most common causes of death are complications of the disorder, such as cardiac arrest or electrolyte imbalance, and suicide.Bulimia Nervosa
An estimated 1.1 percent to 4.2 percent of females have bulimia nervosa in their lifetime.1 Symptoms of bulimia nervosa include:Recurrent episodes of binge eating, characterized by eating an excessive amount of food within a discrete period of time and by a sense of lack of control over eating during the episode
Recurrent inappropriate compensatory behavior in order to prevent weight gain, such as self-induced vomiting or misuse of laxatives, diuretics, enemas, or other medications (purging); fasting; or excessive exercise
The binge eating and inappropriate compensatory behaviors both occur, on average, at least twice a week for 3 months
Self-evaluation is unduly influenced by body shape and weight
Because purging or other compensatory behavior follows the binge-eating episodes, people with bulimia usually weigh within the normal range for their age and height. However, like individuals with anorexia, they may fear gaining weight, desire to lose weight, and feel intensely dissatisfied with their bodies. People with bulimia often perform the behaviors in secrecy, feeling disgusted and ashamed when they binge, yet relieved once they purge.Binge-Eating Disorder
Community surveys have estimated that between 2 percent and 5 percent of Americans experience binge-eating disorder in a 6-month period.5,7 Symptoms of binge-eating disorder include:Recurrent episodes of binge eating, characterized by eating an excessive amount of food within a discrete period of time and by a sense of lack of control over eating during the episode
The binge-eating episodes are associated with at least 3 of the following: eating much more rapidly than normal; eating until feeling uncomfortably full; eating large amounts of food when not feeling physically hungry; eating alone because of being embarrassed by how much one is eating; feeling disgusted with oneself, depressed, or very guilty after overeating
Marked distress about the binge-eating behavior
The binge eating occurs, on average, at least 2 days a week for 6 months
The binge eating is not associated with the regular use of inappropriate compensatory behaviors (e.g., purging, fasting, excessive exercise)
People with binge-eating disorder experience frequent episodes of out-of-control eating, with the same binge-eating symptoms as those with bulimia. The main difference is that individuals with binge-eating disorder do not purge their bodies of excess calories. Therefore, many with the disorder are overweight for their age and height. Feelings of self-disgust and shame associated with this illness can lead to bingeing again, creating a cycle of binge eating.Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified; ED-NOSThe term "not otherwise specified" bothers me, but that is how the DSM-IV categorizes it. It's an eating disorder without a name in a way. Basically, the formal diagnosis of "Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified" is a catch-all for eating disorders that don't exactly fit the parameters of anorexia or bulimia. It is a very broad category, because it may can mean many things: -A person who severely restricts food intake but is not yet underweight.-A female who meets all other criteria for anorexia but continues to have regular menstrual periods.-A person who regularly binges WITHOUT engaging in inappropriate compensatory behaviors such as purging (also known as binge eating disorder).-Someone who binges and purges but does not meet the frequency or duration requirements for a diagnosis of bulimia-Someone who regularly purges after eating regular amounts of food, but is not yet "clinically underweight."-Someone who regularly chews food and spits it out without swallowing, but does not meet the criteria for either bulimia or anorexia.-Any individual who is recovering from or just about to enter one of the "specified" eating disorders.Often, people categorized as having ED-NOS are basically anorexic or bulimic, but cannot be classified as such because of a technicality. Obviously, ED-NOS can very easily lead to a diagnosis of one of the two other clinical eating disorders. Some sources point to as many as 50% of eating disorder cases being diagnosed as ED-NOS. I have a feeling that although many of these cases might be better classified as having binge eating disorder, if and when that becomes its own separate diagnosis, it also might indicate that the folks at the American Psychiatric Association needs to rethink the criteria for diagnosis of anorexia and bulimia.
In the meantime, if you mention "ED-NOS" to most people, they will not have a clue what you are talking about. While anorexia and bulimia get all the publicity, people diagnosed as NOS are often left in the shadows. They may look at the criteria for anorexia and bulimia and feel puzzled. They know something is "off" about their eating habits, but feel invalidated because nothing out there tells them that what they have .is in fact an eating disorder. Invalidation, usually unintentional, may also come from family or friends. (The person who has lost fifty pounds by starving themself but is still overweight will more likely get praise from loved ones rather than concern, for example.) Luckily, in this day and age, more sites on the internet are beginning to talk about the "other" eating disorders to bring validation for those who aren't officially bulimic or anorexic. And an author by the name of Constance Rhodes has come out with a book called Inside the "Thin" Cage which deals with chronic dieting and ED-NOS.
Special section: Males suffer from Eating Disorders too!
Males with eating disorders
The stereotypical anorexic, bulimic, and binge eater is female. The stereotype is misleading.
What eating disorders do men and boys get?
Just like girls and women, boys and men get anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Many males describe themselves as compulsive eaters, and some may have binge eating disorder. There is no evidence to suggest that eating disorders in males are atypical or somehow different from the eating disorders experienced by females.
How many males have eating disorders?
The numbers seem to be increasing. Twenty years ago it was thought that for every 10-15 women with anorexia or bulimia, there was one man. Today researchers find that for every four females with anorexia, there is one male, and for every 8-11 females with bulimia, there is one male. (American Journal of Psychiatry, 2001: 158: 570-574)Binge eating disorder, the most common eating disorder, seems to occur almost equally in males and females, although males are not as likely to feel guilty or anxious after a binge as women are sure to do.Clinics and counselors see many more females than males, but that may be because males are reluctant to confess having what has become known as a "women's problem." Also, health professionals do not expect to see eating disorders in males and may therefore underdiagnose them.Update: February 2007: Researchers at Harvard University Medical School have new data that suggests that up to 25 percent of adults with eating disorders are male. Whether that figure indicates that more men are becoming eating disordered, or that men previously escaped attention and diagnosis, or that diagnostic tools have improved and are now catching people who would have escaped detection before has yet to be determined. Preliminary information suggests that men are more concerned about appearance and body image than they were in the past. The new study was based on information obtained from the National Comorbidity Survey Replication, a mental health survey of nearly 9,000 adults across the U.S.
Are the risk factors for males any different than the ones for females?
Risk factors for males include the following:They were fat or overweight as children.
They have been dieting. Dieting is one of the most powerful eating disorder triggers for both males and females, and one study indicates that up to seventy percent of high school students diet at one time or another to improve their appearance. (Theodore Weltzin, MD; Rogers Memorial Hospital)
They participate in a sport that demands thinness. Runners and jockeys are at higher risk than football players and weight lifters. Wrestlers who try to shed pounds quickly before a match so they can compete in a lower weight category seem to be at special risk. Body builders are at risk if they deplete body fat and fluid reserves to achieve high definition.
They have a job or profession that demands thinness. Male models, actors, and entertainers seem to be at higher risk than the general population.
Some, but not all, males with eating disorders are members of the gay community where men are judged on their physical attractiveness in much the same way that women are judged in the heterosexual community.
Living in a culture fixated on diets and physical appearance is also a risk factor. Male underwear models and men participating in reality show make-overs lead other males to compare themselves with these so-called Ideal body types. So do ads for male skin and hair care products. Weight loss and workout programs, as well as cosmetic surgery procedures, whose goal is chiseled muscularity can lead to the same sort of body dissatisfaction that afflicts women who read fashion magazines and watch movies and TV shows featuring "perfect" people.In May 2004, researchers at the University of Central Florida released a study saying men who watched TV commercials with muscular actors felt unhappy about their own physiques. This "culture of muscularity" can be linked to eating disorders and steroid abuse, the researchers said.Much has been made of the effect the Barbie doll has on the body image of a young girl. Now we have the Wolverine action figure (and others) marketed to boys. If Wolverine were life size, his biceps would be 32 inches around. Advertisers are marketing to males the same way they have pitched goods to females, with apparently many of the same related problems.Males and females with eating disorders: similar but different
Males often begin an eating disorder at older ages than females do, and they more often have a history of obesity or overweight.Heterosexual males are not exposed to the same intense cultural pressures to be thin that women and girls endure. A casual review of popular magazines and TV shows reveals that women are encouraged to diet and be thin so they can feel good about themselves, be successful at school and at work, and attract friends and romantic partners. Men, on the other hand, are exhorted to be strong and powerful, to build their bodies and make them large and strong so they can compete successfully, amass power and wealth, and defend and protect their frail, skinny female companions.It's interesting to note that when women are asked what they would do with one magic wish, they almost always want to lose weight. Men asked the same question want money, power, sex, and the accessories of a rich and successful lifestyle. They often think their bodies are fine the way they are. If they do have body concerns, they usually want to bulk up and become larger and more muscular, not tiny like women do. Males usually equate thinness with weakness and frailty, things they desperately want to avoid.
Some Warning SignsWarning Signs ED
So how can you tell if a person has anorexia or bulimia? You can't only tell by looking, of course — someone who loses a lot of weight may have another health condition. But if you know of someone who fits the patterns described below, you may want to try to help your friend.Anorexia:drops weight to about 15% below normal
denies feeling hungry
exercises excessively
feels fat
withdraws from social activitiesBulimia:makes excuses to go to the bathroom immediately after meals
eats huge amounts of food, but doesn't gain weight
uses laxatives or diuretics
withdraws from social activitiesWarning Signs SIWarning signs that someone is injuring themselves include: unexplained frequent injury including cuts and burns, wearing long pants and sleeves in warm weather, low self-esteem, difficulty handling feelings, relationship problems, and poor functioning at work, school or home.
Statistics & FactsStatistics & Facts
*It is more acceptable in the US society to be a rapist rather than a self injurer.
*1 in 10 children will have self-harmed by the age of 16.
*Over 8 million people in the US alone suffer from eating disorders; Over 1/2 will recover!
*50% of eating disorder cases are diagnosed as ED-NOS.
*Your stomach has to produce a new layer of mucus every 2 weeks or it will digest itself.
Support Bracelets!Support People with SI and ED; Buy a wristband!Many people ask about self injury wristbands, its hard to find certain sites for varying countries and locations where you all live, but for the states, you can make your own bracelet (personalized) at the following website.....Here is the info...www.wristbands-with-a-message.com
ORWrist Bands With A Message, Inc
3936 Bluebonnet Dr.
Stafford, TX 77477
1-800-282-8091
FAX 281-494-2680