[Guest]

Does anyone else out there have "mental" problems when it comes to eating? My body I know needs nourishment to make me go but it is so hard to motivate myself to eat. I have "flashbacks" of the last time I ate and got sick all the time, and can't seem to get them out of my head. I am an avid lover of food. Sometimes I can eat all day, but for some reason I have this mental hangup about eating after I have been sick. Can anyone help me with thoughts or advice?Thanks!!!!!------------------God never gives me more than I can handle at one time.

 

[mamamia]

Dear New:If you can find out what your "safe" foods are and hopefully they're not just cotton candy and M&M's, just kiddin', you'll feel okay with eating them.It's perfectly natural to be "afraid" to eat after you've been terribly sick. If you got sick going on a roller coaster, you'd avoid that like the plague. Same thing.Try to keep a food diary, and see what causes what. Be very aware of milk products, many of the friends here on the BB are lactose intolerant. Certain dairy foods can give me near death symptoms!!!Good luck, sweetie.love to all. mama-

 

[Wiggin]

New-As a recovered anorexic, I have to say that I have had the same thoughts and feelings you are experiencing. I freaked out if I got sick, and didn't ever want to feel like that again! Some of my discomfort came from the fact that illness was not well tolerated when I was growing up. I actually got yelled at for throwing up on the bathroom floor when I woke in the middle of the night, ill. My mom asked me why I didn't make it to the toilet, or use a towel or the sink or tub? Like I didn't feel rotten enough, now I didn't even know how to get sick right. Geez.I can tell you that a good therapist, a lot of work and time have helped me through that fear. I want to also tell you that I still am a little gunshy about being queasy. I think this comes from being afraid of not being able to take care of myself in that situation.Be good to yourself, and take care.

 

[Guest]

I think I know what you mean, although maybe not to the extreme you're experiencing. I find myself having "not enough time", so I often skip lunch. There has been a noted loss of appetite (this from an avid food lover) and I wind up drinking lots of Ensure, a bland but nutritious dietary supplement. Like you, I know I need to eat, but just have no desire. Wish I had some words of wisdom...when you just absolutely can't eat anything, try Ensure or an equivalent, and take some kind of comprehensive vitamin supplement. Good luck and best wishes.

 

[Guest]

i totally know what you're talking about. after an attack i get paranoid that anything i eat will retrigger an attack. i know everyone's tolerances are different but here are a few things that have never hurt me after an attack--orange flavor gatorade (maybe cause i'm just partial to orange), canda dry ginger ale--not schwepp's cause it's stronger, lance peanut butter on toastchee crackers, special k cereal dry, the list goes on. i just thought i'd give you a few suggestions about where to start on the road back to eating. good luck and i hope you feel like eating something of substance real soon.