Comments on: For those stuck on the ED rollercoaster… http://www.greythinking.com/2008/08/19/for-those-stuck-on-the-ed-rollercoaster/ "being aware of your crap and actually overcoming your crap are two very different things." - christina, grey's anatomy Sat, 14 Jan 2012 23:26:18 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.2 By: Johannah http://www.greythinking.com/2008/08/19/for-those-stuck-on-the-ed-rollercoaster/comment-page-1/#comment-2727 Johannah Tue, 03 Jan 2012 10:56:54 +0000 http://greythinking.wordpress.com/?p=94#comment-2727 You can always tell an expert! Thanks for contirubtnig. You can always tell an expert! Thanks for contirubtnig.

]]> By: Ai Lu http://www.greythinking.com/2008/08/19/for-those-stuck-on-the-ed-rollercoaster/comment-page-1/#comment-134 Ai Lu Tue, 19 Aug 2008 23:12:05 +0000 http://greythinking.wordpress.com/?p=94#comment-134 Thanks for making me think more deeply about long-term eating disorders; my own ED was much briefer (about 4 years from onset to recovery), so I'm not as personally knowledgeable about what EDs can look like 5, 8, even 10 or 20 years down the line. However, I DO know a number of women who arrived at my college in 2001 with eating disorders and have not recovered from them to this day (more than seven years late). Your article makes me wonder what kind of dynamics are motivating -- or not -- their recovery. Also, who is to say that people with chronic eating disorders will ever accept treatment to begin with? One of these women that I know is now in medical school (!) and has yet to seek any kind of treatment, as far as I know, because she sees her ED as helping her get as far as she has. Since she is still in the "functional" stage, I doubt that anything short of a heart attack will compel her to seek treatment -- a sad fact, indeed, when you consider that she will be seeing patients herself some day. Thanks for making me think more deeply about long-term eating disorders; my own ED was much briefer (about 4 years from onset to recovery), so I’m not as personally knowledgeable about what EDs can look like 5, 8, even 10 or 20 years down the line. However, I DO know a number of women who arrived at my college in 2001 with eating disorders and have not recovered from them to this day (more than seven years late). Your article makes me wonder what kind of dynamics are motivating — or not — their recovery.

Also, who is to say that people with chronic eating disorders will ever accept treatment to begin with? One of these women that I know is now in medical school (!) and has yet to seek any kind of treatment, as far as I know, because she sees her ED as helping her get as far as she has. Since she is still in the “functional” stage, I doubt that anything short of a heart attack will compel her to seek treatment — a sad fact, indeed, when you consider that she will be seeing patients herself some day.

]]> By: Grey House http://www.greythinking.com/2008/08/19/for-those-stuck-on-the-ed-rollercoaster/comment-page-1/#comment-133 Grey House Tue, 19 Aug 2008 20:59:16 +0000 http://greythinking.wordpress.com/?p=94#comment-133 As someone who is currently very frustrated with treatment and has been in ED limbo for about 7 years (and has had an eating disorder for about 9), I can really relate to this post, and think that you bring up a lot of excellent points. I know many people with chronic eating disorders who are in treatment, yet are not really getting any better. It seems to me that for them treatment isn't really doing anything, it has just become something that they do, like going to work. I think this type of passive treatment is actually harmful in some ways because it helps to solidify the eating disorder identity, and that in turn makes it harder to recover. If going to see a therapist every week is routine, not interfering with work or friends and not challenging, where is the motivation to change (especially if you like your therapist)? As someone who is currently very frustrated with treatment and has been in ED limbo for about 7 years (and has had an eating disorder for about 9), I can really relate to this post, and think that you bring up a lot of excellent points. I know many people with chronic eating disorders who are in treatment, yet are not really getting any better. It seems to me that for them treatment isn’t really doing anything, it has just become something that they do, like going to work. I think this type of passive treatment is actually harmful in some ways because it helps to solidify the eating disorder identity, and that in turn makes it harder to recover. If going to see a therapist every week is routine, not interfering with work or friends and not challenging, where is the motivation to change (especially if you like your therapist)?

]]> By: Tiptoe http://www.greythinking.com/2008/08/19/for-those-stuck-on-the-ed-rollercoaster/comment-page-1/#comment-132 Tiptoe Tue, 19 Aug 2008 15:41:56 +0000 http://greythinking.wordpress.com/?p=94#comment-132 You've hit some good points in this post. I think there are so many of us in this "functional" state and just keep kind of trucking along until there is some breaking point or "real" impetus for change. And even with that, it may not be enough. I agree with you about passive treatment. I've seen this type of treatment with a lot of people, and in the end, they're still holding onto the ED and not really living a life. It leaves those who are watching very frustrated. You’ve hit some good points in this post. I think there are so many of us in this “functional” state and just keep kind of trucking along until there is some breaking point or “real” impetus for change. And even with that, it may not be enough.

I agree with you about passive treatment. I’ve seen this type of treatment with a lot of people, and in the end, they’re still holding onto the ED and not really living a life. It leaves those who are watching very frustrated.

]]> By: Cammy http://www.greythinking.com/2008/08/19/for-those-stuck-on-the-ed-rollercoaster/comment-page-1/#comment-131 Cammy Tue, 19 Aug 2008 12:07:34 +0000 http://greythinking.wordpress.com/?p=94#comment-131 Wow, thanks for this post. I was talking about this with my psychologist the other day, I mentioned that I don't want to be a middle-aged anorexic someday, and she pointed out that I'm approaching 9 years with the disease already...something I hadn't really processed. It's amazing how easy it is to let the years pass under the ED's thumb when you ARE able to be functional and keep your health stats hovering above imminently life-threatening levels. I think it really sneaks up on a lot of people...great post, thanks for this. Wow, thanks for this post. I was talking about this with my psychologist the other day, I mentioned that I don’t want to be a middle-aged anorexic someday, and she pointed out that I’m approaching 9 years with the disease already…something I hadn’t really processed. It’s amazing how easy it is to let the years pass under the ED’s thumb when you ARE able to be functional and keep your health stats hovering above imminently life-threatening levels. I think it really sneaks up on a lot of people…great post, thanks for this.

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