Triggering: Can't stop eating after beating my eating disorder

[Moomins]

I'm new to this and not quite sure how it works im not sure if im even on the right thing but I could really do with some advice

Iv recently just got over anorexia where I lost a stupid amount of weight for my height. My parents told me that if I did not eat by my own choice that they would have no option but to take me to the hospital to get professional help. I chose options A obviously. At first it was horrible having to eat full meals with my parents watching me like a hawk.
So anyway I reached a healthy weight just before Christmas but since then I can't stop binging I mean pretty much eating everything the whole fridge. But il stave myself for a few days after my binge. Now iv become depressed again back to we're I was before I developed anorexia. All I want to do is get all this weight back off but I'm also scared to slip back in to old habbits and become anorexic again.

I just want to be heathy but can't stop binging then starving myself! I'm sorry for the essay I just need so moral support I'm sorry if iv posted this wrong or you think I'm a right cow for moaning about something like this! I just don't know what to do

[Kindred]

Hey, I'm on my phone so sorry if this is quick or has spelling errors etc

Just quickly- well done, seriously, for doing so well in recovery. That's so fantastic and I'm so proud you've managed to do that. I admire you.

Secondly- a lot of people experience something called 'extreme hunger' in recovery, even after they've gained all the weight back and ate eating regally and stuff. Truth is, your body is really messed up and it's just confused right now. Generally, the advice is just to live through the 'binges' or extreme hunger as I prefer to call it. Binging is not binging in recovery from a restrictive eating disorder. It's just your body getting what it needs. Generally, the extreme hunger is just a phase that will pass if you stick it out, go with it, and don't debt yourself of what you need.

Restricting in response to a binge however will trigger more urges to binge. You can't restrict sweetheart, even if you feel awful and horrible. Of course you'll feel horrible, but the important thing to remember is that you're recovering and this phase will pass.

As soon as I'm home, I'll post a link to an article about extreme hunger and also dealing with urges to binge

Best if luck <3


EDIT: Article on binging in recovery and why it isn't binging (watch out for calorie numbers, long post but worth it)

And I couldn't find the link, so here is the whole binge- purge (restricting following a binge is purging) thing:
Steps to Stop the Binging/Purging Cycle

1. Identify your triggers. Everyone has different triggers. Stress, loneliness, family problems, a bad day can all lead to the impulse to purge. Take note of what your triggers are and try to avoid them and learn ways to better cope with them.

2. Improve your self-esteem. Self-esteem is a big key factor in your binge/purge cycle. Studies show that people with low self-esteem are more prone to depression, loneliness, poor body image, helplessness, feeling like they have no control, and feeling unable to cope with stress and change. These are all triggers for a binge/purge cycle. Improving your self-esteem will help remove these triggers from your life.


3. Eat at regular intervals. Never let yourself get hungry. Avoiding food for long periods of time can cause you to get that out-of-control hungry feeling that triggers a binge. Eating a small amount every 3 to 4 hours can curb binges and subsequent purges.


4. Consider taking medications. Since bulimia is primarily a psychological disorder, some people have found recovery success through a combination of psychotherapy and medications. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, the only anti-depressant approved by the USDA for the treatment of bulimia is Prozac. Prozac has been found to reduce binging and purging, prevent relapse, and improve attitudes toward eating. Other types of medications, such as selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) have also been shown to reduce binging and purging cycles. Discussing your disorder with your doctor or therapist can help you decide if medications are right for you.


5. Get comprehensive treatment. Group therapy, and especially cognitive behavior therapy, is an effective way to maintain recovery after you’ve maintained some sense of control over your binging and purging. Comprehensive therapy that includes group and individual counseling, psychotherapy, medications and nutritional counseling is the most successful form of treatment.


6. Be honest with yourself and others. Recruit a friend or trusted family member to help you along in your recovery process. Fill them in on your triggers and advise them on steps they can take to help diffuse the pressure of a potential binge/purge cycle. If certain situations or environments trigger your disorder, turn down invitations and turn to your trusted confidant instead to help get your mind off of a stressful situation.


7. Change your mindset about overindulging. Just because you binge or eat something you feel you shouldn’t, doesn’t mean you should scrap the entire day as a lost cause and purge. Take your recovery one day at a time and be patient with yourself. Relapse is inevitable but a necessary step in the recovery process.

[byuhgirl]

First of all that is freakin awesome and good job You are ten times stronger than you think because of this step into recovery. I had a very similar problem and i gained a ton of weight. I hated it and then I relapsed. This is your first time through recovery so honestly don't hate yourself just because you feel like this. Lot's of people have to restart recovery a lot because the eating disorder didn't grow over night and it won't go away over night. That's just the truth and it sucks. Learn your triggers!! Really can't stress that enough it's very important to do that and find other coping methods. Plus, this might not be an option, but talk to a counselor. I kicked and screamed, but I wouldn't be where I am now without my counselor. If you wanna talk just message me and I would be more than happy to help GOOD LUCK!!!

[m_nice]

Firstly congratulations, even as a guy I know what it means to focus on weight, so good job. I would have to agree with laura and say that your body may be experiencing this extreme hunger, instead of starving yourself as a means to compensate, a suggested and this has no medical bearing AT ALL so keep that in mind. I would suggest keep eating normal meals, right down your meals and attempt to stick to three a day. Your body probably is using all of this extra food in an attempt to counteract the starvation. Instead of starving, and i know how it is to try to control binging [it's not simple]. Try to workout and then eat, running 30 min or lifting weights, keep eating though, even if it leads to a binge, if it is after a workout your body will use all this extra energy for muscle repair and growth. As you workout this will probably have 2 effects, 1 your hunger and body may adjust faster to a more normalized place, your starving should stop [we can't starve and workout or we'd pass out], you should get a nice feeling from the workouts when you finish and your body will most likely respond by becoming happier healthier and stronger. This is my approach for attempting to resolve my own issues, maybe i'm wrong but it's a suggestion to help you through this binging period that may also lead to something even more positive. Don't think of it as a means to lose weight, think of it as a means to grow stronger, measure yourself by what you could do yesterday. Cheers and best wishes.