ED Loves Isolation

My weight is really getting to me lately. Well more than usual anyway. It’s like no matter what I do I stay at a high weight. I feel like I’ll never be skinny again. Isolation is ED’s best friend. I shared with my boyfriend how my ED thoughts are getting worse and I mentioned that I was scared because I tend to isolate. What sucked was that he though I would isolate myself from him. The potential does exist but I love him and I would never isolate myself from him. He asked me if we were heading for the inevitable and hearing that nearly broke my heart. We reassured each other that we were going anywhere but I’m scared that he will leave me if he even feels an inking of me unwillingly pulling away.

For the first time in our relationship I felt the real fear of abandonment. My BPD (borderline personality disorder) was eating all this up and ED was laughing mischievously. Fighting my bad thoughts has been so hard today and I’ve continuously have to keep reminding myself that I trust him and that he loves me. All I want is to continue to watch our love grow because its something I cherish and I will not let ED take that away from me. He has already taken away 17 years of my life.

My Best Friend’s Wedding

Im back from my trip to California to be in my best friend’s wedding. It was definitely and emotional roller coaster. Not only because of the wedding but also dealing with my eating disorder while I was on my trip.

Im weirdly happy yet disappointed that I let ED take over as my coping mechanism during my trip but I’m home now where I have many supports to help me get through the rough patch.

My best friend is naturally thin and it was so hard seeing her and being around her the whole week just because I was constantly comparing myself and wishing that I were as thin as she was. Its a terrible feeling to feel stuck in a body that you hate or that you can’t wishfully change to look like you want to look like.

I came home from my trip last night and because I wasn’t really taking care of myself during my trip… last night my body finally took a fall…LITERALLY. I was weak from not getting enough sleep all week and not nourishing myself enough all week that I took a HARD fall in my bathroom in the middle of the night. I was so disoriented that I couldn’t even get up until my boyfriend came to find me. A bit of an eye opener…don’t you think?!

Distractions to Refocus Your Mindset

A way to remember these skills is the phrase: “Wise Mind ACCEPTS”

Distracting Attention

With Activities:

• Refocus your attention to a task you have to get done
• Watch TV or a movie
• Clean a room in your house
• Find an event to go to
• Play a computer/video game
• Go for a walk
• Play a sport
• Go out for a meal
• Call a friend

With Contributing:

• Find somewhere to volunteer
• Surprise someone with something nice
• Give away things you don’t need
• Send an encouraging message
• Call someone just to say hi
• Do something thoughtful

With Comparisons:

• Compare how you are feeling now to a time you felt different
• Think about people coping the same as you (you’re not alone)

With Opposite Emotions:

• Reread a book that opened up your emotions
• Read old letters
• Half a deep conversation
• Write yourself a letter to your younger self

With Pushing Away:

• Push the situation away by leaving it for a while
• Leave the situation mentally
• Build an imaginary wall between you and the situation
• Block images and thoughts from your mind
• Notice ruminating and say NO
• Refuse to think about the painful aspects of the situation
• Put the pain in a box and put it away for a while

With Other Thoughts:

• Count to ten or counting items
• Repeat words to a song in your mind
• work on a puzzle
• Read a book
• Try and learn something new

With Other Sensations:

• Squeeze a rubber ball really hard
• Listen to very loud music
• Hold ice in your hand
• Go out in the rain or snow

Recovery Pen Pals

Anyone interested in being recovery pen pals?

Doesn’t matter what mental illness you struggle with you are still more than welcome.

Of course it will be recovery minded!

If interested send me an email at jobaby21@icloud.com or message me on our Recover Pen Pals Facebook page answering the questions below

I will sort through the emails and pair you up with someone who has similar struggles and interest as yourselves.

Name?

Age? 

What are your diagnosis? 

Are there any things that trigger you that we shouldn’t write about? 

Where do you live?

What are you looking for in a Pen Pal

Anything else we should know about you? 

 

How would you like to “Pen Pal?” (writing letters, Skype, email, etc). Please provide info needed.

Once I receive your emails I will sort through them to find your match!

If you want to be my pen pal my answer is yes.

It’ll give us a chance to meet people from all over the world!

Mentally Exhausted!

Today has been completely chaotic. I woke up happy today because I made a new connection with someone and it felt good to be honest with each other about how we deal with our mental illness. My mood completely changed when this girl in my class who is bulimic; glorified her eating disorder and would just tell me about her ED behaviours. I am very vulnerable right now and didn’t handle it properly.

In my second class we took a quiz called “Social/Essential Self Connection.” I wasn’t surprised about the outcome of my test. The same girl from my first classes was sitting next to me and saw my score then got nosy and ballsy enough to ask me why I hated myself so much! Honestly I don’t know but I know that I don’t feel deserving of someone feeling gratitude towards me because I’m a chaotic roller coaster of emotions.

After school my mom picked me up to go find a dress for my best friends wedding. During the drive there the turmoil in my head was taking over. I tried to hold my composure in the store when I first arrived. I had expectations on what my size would be…I am petite. Holy FUCK when they told me my size I fucking had an inner meltdown. I couldn’t allow myself to cry in the store but I was shaken with anxiety. The person who helped me with my dress thought it was because the pressure of being a maid of honour. If he only knew what vile thoughts I was thinking about myself.

After reflecting on my day I realized that my BPD took utter control yesterday and I had a major mood swings that I couldn’t hide. The fact that I am self-aware that I am on the line of relapsing scares me. I’m fighting my thoughts so hard but it’s so exhausting. I feel like I just want to give in to ED but then I would feel like I failed my recovery. I would worry people and that makes me feel extremely guilty.

So there is still that question why do I hate myself so much? I don’t have an answer because it’s a question I haven’t explored in a really long time. Having someone notice…a stranger…was heartbreaking. I don’t want to hate myself…I want to find a way to love myself. I don’t know what direction to take at this point in my journey but with the support of people who care about me I know that I’ll choose the right path.

I survived the day and thats something to be proud of

A Bit Peeved!!

My ex-roommate never really cared that I am anorexic. I never act like a “sick girl” because I don’t want that to be what people to think that about me. Yes I am in recovery but I still have days where I struggle and I get a little sick. I always pull out of it which I think is all part of recovery.

Back to my ex-roommate…She thought that I was doing it for attention and was constantly trying to be the food police. About a year ago I suffered a stroke from a vitamin B1 deficiency . Obviously the living situation didn’t work out.

Well last week I ran into home health issue with a stroke again because my recovery has been really rocky for about a month.

My ex-roommate is genuinely a nice girl who means well just doesn’t understand and I couldn’t live under such conditions.

The other day my mom ran into her and she asked my mom how I was doing. Because my mom has been stressed and worried she told her I have run into another episode due to my anorexia. She then told my mother that should live in a facility where people take care of me aka similar to a nursing home!

I have an eating disorder and I am in recovery and I am able to live my daily life without someone taking care of me. I have already been to treatment and I know myself well to reach out when I think I’m at that point of seeking help.

What peeves me is that she didn’t say it out of serious concern. It was spite and not concern because I didn’t want to continue having a friendship with someone who was hindering my mental well-being and she never accepted the fact that I do have a life long illness.

I don’t like it for people assuming how much I struggle daily. I don’t talk about it but I do blog about it.

SORRY ABOUT MY RANT BUT I DON’T APPRECIATE SOMEONE SAYING SOMETHING LIKE THAT TO MY ALREADY WORRIED MOTHER.

Stay Strong ED Warriors ❤

 

The Hardest Time of the Year

Around this time of year, when the weather is starting to warm up, and I can’t hide behind winter baggy clothing is usually when I end up having a lapse or relapse. When I think of warm weather I think of clothing that doesn’t cover much up my body (bathing suits, skirts, shorts, tank tops, etc). It sends me into a serious panic!

Today was also my first day of school and starting during the summer semester is also sending me into a frenzy! I can’t imagine going to school 5 days a week and having to find something to wear as the weather gets warmer.

In the last few weeks all I have thought about is losing all the weight I can by the end of this month so I can go into summer thin so I wouldn’t have to freak out when the weather got too hot to wear clothes that covers/hides my body.

I know during time where I feel like giving up on my recovery and indulging in my eating disorder is a time I should reach out for support but the reality is that I can’t even fathom continuing to stay weight restore when I feel so disgusting and *fat*.

*BATHING SUIT WEATHER*

is probably the scariest phrase during this time of year!

Unfortunately feel like saying *FUCK RECOVERY* and *EMBRACE ED*

I usually try to keep my blog recovery minded & positive so I apologize but I needed to vent.

UGH WHY DOES SUMMER HAVE TO BE SO HARD?

WILL I EVER FEEL COMFORTABLE IN MY OWN SKIN?

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Going Back to School

Im starting school in 13 days. Im a terrified. Its been 6 years since I was last in any kind of university class. Since then my life has been a total roller coaster. I went to treatment for anorexia nervosa. Then I moved to Canada. Then I got diagnosed with BPD in November of 2013. Since I have been dealing with lapses and relapses with my eating disorder and suffering many symptoms/episodes with BPD.

In May 2015 I suffered a stroke caused by Wernicke’s Syndrome. Since then my memory and attention/concentration has been impacted more than usual. I say usual because going through lapses and relapses with anorexia leaves my body malnourished and my brain isn’t getting any nutrients so it affects me cognitively.

With all that being said going back to school is really scary. I still remember all my behaviours I would use in university so I could still engage in my eating disorder. The stress of school made it even more tempting to be wrapped up in ED. Im trying so hard to stay at a “good” weight (as much as I hate myself for it) that I’m scared I might screw it up (even though half of me doesn’t care).

I’ve always prided myself in school. Without sounding like I’m full of myself I know I’m really intelligent. School was a way to prove it to myself. Now with the memory and concentration struggles I’m scared of how well I will do in school. I don’t it to hinder my grades.

In struggling with BPD I have a had a hard time with social interactions. Mostly with large crowds, strangers, and feeling like people are intruding my bubble. The anxiety of knowing I will be subjecting myself to that is almost crippling.

I know all I’ve said sounds like this may be a terrifying experience but I’m also really excited to get back into the real world. I’ve been “sick” for too long. I just really hope this turns out to be a good experience and not something that I will regret. I don’t want to regress with the progress I have made in the last 3 years. I’ve worked with my ED therapist, social workers, family doctor, taken DBT courses. I guess it will be time to put all that knowledge to use!

WISH ME LUCK!

So Many Updates!

I haven’t seen my ED therapist in a good solid 6 weeks! All my ED behaviours are creepy out and have crazy mood swings. One minute I’m laughing and then I’m crying. And I feel like no one understand me!

Im getting scared of food again which I know works against my recovery but I’m toying with the fact that maybe I don’t care. Especially now that its warmer. I can’t bring myself to try on my dresses from last year. Warm weather is so triggering!

I have also been on a roller coaster with mood swings. One minute I’m crying the next I’m feeling happy. Oh BPD why do you plague? It has been very difficult for me to manage. I know I’m strong than all this but I’m so exhausted.

I guess thats all I have for now.