Comments on: There's no "Ed" in Somatization Disorder http://www.greythinking.com/2009/01/14/thats-not-a-real-eating-disorder/ "being aware of your crap and actually overcoming your crap are two very different things." - christina, grey's anatomy Mon, 06 Sep 2010 18:37:22 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: How to Get Six Pack Fast http://www.greythinking.com/2009/01/14/thats-not-a-real-eating-disorder/comment-page-1/#comment-295 How to Get Six Pack Fast Wed, 15 Apr 2009 17:40:03 +0000 http://greythinking.wordpress.com/?p=216#comment-295 I can tell that this is not the first time at all that you write about the topic. Why have you decided to touch it again? I can tell that this is not the first time at all that you write about the topic. Why have you decided to touch it again?

]]> By: s http://www.greythinking.com/2009/01/14/thats-not-a-real-eating-disorder/comment-page-1/#comment-294 s Thu, 15 Jan 2009 18:41:31 +0000 http://greythinking.wordpress.com/?p=216#comment-294 This is really, really complicated as an issue, I think. The particular woman you met, I agree, probably would have been better served by a different type of mental health treatment. On the other hand, I have a lot of personal experience (first- and second-hand) with both food allergies and "Ed." I have celiac disease, dairy allergy, soy allergy, and a lot of other allergies. I've also struggled with various manifestations of Ed for much of my life. And, in many ways, I've found that the restrictions that my illnesses require feed my control-freak tendencies over food. In other words, for all that I would kill for a slice of pizza, I love my damaged body for preventing me from ever daring to have a piece. I've basically become my own enforcer. The food allergies are NOT the Ed, but they can work together. And I can understand, entirely, why someone who is not biologically sick would have the urge to create them. Which brings me to my mother. My mother is an anorexic. (No waffling about diagnoses in her case.) She's going to kill herself with it. Lately, she's begun to claim that she has all sorts of food allergies and intolerances. I am quite certain that she has neither. But! If suddenly she can't eat dairy, well... She never has to. It's no longer "butter is disgusting and smells like animals," it's "butter makes me sick because I'm allergic to dairy" and no one questions it. I would love nothing more to get her in treatment. She *belongs* in a treatment facility for people with eating disorders, despite her current crafting of her illness as one of food allergy. Anyway, I just thought this might offer a different perspective. I realize that the woman in your group exhibits no Ed behaviors at this point, but... wonky eating can start one way and end up another. I wonder if she won't just keep adding allergies until the junk food falls under the category of "allergy." And then what will be left? Alternatively, I rather wonder whether anyone bothered to test that woman for celiac disease. It often looks psychosomatic and isn't. This is really, really complicated as an issue, I think. The particular woman you met, I agree, probably would have been better served by a different type of mental health treatment. On the other hand, I have a lot of personal experience (first- and second-hand) with both food allergies and “Ed.” I have celiac disease, dairy allergy, soy allergy, and a lot of other allergies. I’ve also struggled with various manifestations of Ed for much of my life. And, in many ways, I’ve found that the restrictions that my illnesses require feed my control-freak tendencies over food. In other words, for all that I would kill for a slice of pizza, I love my damaged body for preventing me from ever daring to have a piece. I’ve basically become my own enforcer. The food allergies are NOT the Ed, but they can work together. And I can understand, entirely, why someone who is not biologically sick would have the urge to create them.

Which brings me to my mother. My mother is an anorexic. (No waffling about diagnoses in her case.) She’s going to kill herself with it. Lately, she’s begun to claim that she has all sorts of food allergies and intolerances. I am quite certain that she has neither. But! If suddenly she can’t eat dairy, well… She never has to. It’s no longer “butter is disgusting and smells like animals,” it’s “butter makes me sick because I’m allergic to dairy” and no one questions it. I would love nothing more to get her in treatment. She *belongs* in a treatment facility for people with eating disorders, despite her current crafting of her illness as one of food allergy.

Anyway, I just thought this might offer a different perspective. I realize that the woman in your group exhibits no Ed behaviors at this point, but… wonky eating can start one way and end up another. I wonder if she won’t just keep adding allergies until the junk food falls under the category of “allergy.” And then what will be left?

Alternatively, I rather wonder whether anyone bothered to test that woman for celiac disease. It often looks psychosomatic and isn’t.

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