Eating Disorder (For Sage/Anyone)

[samara's on tv]

I just had a talk with my psychiatrist about my Emet. He said he was hoping the Zyprexa would take care of it but it hasn't been helping. He reffered me to a clinic that specializes in eating disorders. I told him that I have poor nutrition seeing as how I only eat packaged foods, (Chips, Crackers that sort of thing) he said that I should definately see a specialist at the eating disorder clinic. He told me he wants me to get to the point where I can eat normally again. My question is this...is Emetophobia an eating disorder? Or does it just come with the phobia? Should I go to this eating disorder clinic and get help?


~Monica

[crazy_me_84]

I guess emet is a type of eating disorder, but not an eating disorder as such. Unless you have the symptoms like a distorted body image/ fear of gaining weight... we emets who have this problem with food, do not restrict food because of the same reasons, we fear contamination, undercooked food, poisoning etc... so I think the eating problem comes with emet and is often misdiagnosed as an eating disorder.


Sorry, but I don't have any suggestions what you should do, but I don't think the people at the clinic will help you overcome emet, although it might help you become more confident with some of the foods you don't feel you could eat at the moment.


good luck, let us know what happens


xxx

[hippychick]

I think that although you ae not trying to control your weight through eating, you are controlling your food intake in a way that can be very unhealthy due to emet. However I think thats just one part of emet. I would certainly give it a shot. Just make sure you are clear on the reasons why you eat the way you do. I once had a therapist asking me is I ever made myself sick. Was she listening AT ALL??? LOL I also read a story about a woman who didn't eat through emet and got reffered to an Eating disorder clinic which helped her so much. Good luck.


xxxxxxxx

[samara's on tv]

Actually when I brought up my Emet with my doctor he asked me, "How often are you vomiting?" and I just sort of rolled my eyes and reminded him that it's a PHOBIA AGAINST Vomiting not actually doing the act myself. My Social Worker thinks I should go to the eating disorder place and at least get an evaluation, even if it doesn't help with my emet maybe they can suggest foods to eat that would make me more healthy. With the way I've been eating recently I'm surprised I'm not already in the hospital for poor nutrition or passing out somewhere or something. Thanks for the replies!


~Monica

[hippychick]

Yeah I always think with these things that it cant hurt to try anything once right? And even if they are useless with emet they can give good nutrition advice. And I have a whole list of mean things Dr's have said to me lol. The first Dr I told said "thats really weird" my CPN told me I was a freak (seriously!) Finally I found a winning Dr *sighs* I miss her. She didn't claim to know emet but she was working hard with me to fix it. Anyway enough memory lane here LOL Good luck with it all. And btw i LOVE that Kerry Weaver quote. She is fabulous.


xxxxxx

[gubba]

I've been an EMET as long as I can remember and I guess there are different degrees of it. i just recently found that I was not the only one is the world with this phobia, and that was a relief. i do eat and I am not skinny or fat. I am normal weight and always have been. I find that I like to make my own foods and that way I know that they are cooked and in a clean place. I do go with the fear in the grocery that the food may be spoiled or whatever else could be wrong, but I smell it before I cook and I try to get fresher foods by checking the expiration dates. I know that fear you have of eating food that may make you s*, and I hate that. I get it every single time we eat out and I make myself feel ill over that anxiety. I can't really call it an eating disorder, however, possibly a clinic could help get you on the right track even though your fear is not of the food, but rather of the food making you s*


Good luck.

[crazy_me_84]

I guess you should just give it a go because you have nothing to lose really. Some nutritional advice would be great if you're not eating much... I think I need it too. Hope it goes well.


xxx

[japa]

My thought is that emetophobia is causing your eating to be disordered. It may not be for the typical reasons, but that does not mean that you are necessarily eating properly.

[bexcelica]

i dont thnk it is a type of eating disorder, but i think it can EASILY
cause one. in your case, only easting packaged foods i guess is a type
of eating disorder. eating disorder doesnt mean specifically anorexia
or (gulp) bulemia.. its when you dont eat right and you CANT or WONT
eat right for any reason, and arent getting the proper nutrition. i
dont have the problem, ill eat almost anything (surprisingly) but with
everythign i eat, its "am i going to get sick from this?" and i mean
EVERYTHING. everytime i put anything near my mouth or do anythign
basically i think "is this going to make me sick" i even think that
with totally irrelevant things like sex and driving. i guess you could
call it an eating disorder. we have trouble, whether it is not eating
or just thinking about being sick whenever we eat, with food.

[samara's on tv]

Well I'm going to call this place tomorrow and get an assesment. I hope they can help me out, this is supposed to be one of the best places in Ohio to get help for an eating disorder (at least that's what the commercial says) I am going to have to tell my parents about it. I mean I WANT to tell my parents about it, I mean they have no idea how bad my Emet is. Maybe they'll start to understand when I have to go to this place. I also found out that my GOOD Colesterol is only at 27 and it should be at 40! Over all my colesterol is 158 I think...my doctor said that it was good but I need to get my "GOOD" Colestoral up a bit. Anyway I'll keep you guys posted just incase you are wondering about me!


~Monica

[sage]

Emetophobia is not an eating disorder, but it can manifest itself this way. Those with eating disorders also experience anxiety when they try to eat properly (as you do). Therefore some treatment that is similar to theirs might indeed help you. HOWEVER, as someone else posted, make sure those treating you are really LISTENING to you, and not giving you inappropriate advice or treatment.


You have a "specific phobia" which is a DSM-IV diagnosis: "300.29, Other Type (situations that might lead to illness, choking, vomiting)" Eating disorders include Anorexia Nervosa (Diagnosis 307.1), which you do not have; Bulemia Nervosa (307.51)which you OBVIOUSLY do not have. In my opinion, your anorexic tendencies (that simply means "not eating") also do not constitute a diagnosis of 307.50 "Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified", as those are still justunusual forms of anorexia nervosa or bulemia nervosa. They ALL stem from the belief that one is fat, in other words, having a distorted body image.So technically, you don't have an eating disorder. Butyou have a problem eating. So give the clinic a whirl!


Anyway, you can print out my opinion and give it to your psychiatrist, if that's helpful. Hopefully he or she is the type who welcomes input from other experts.


Good luck with your treatment!