i just realized that i never got told what kind of eating disorder i have....... all i know is i restrict and then sometimes i would eat a lot and loose control.... i guess they couldnt diagnose me with anorexia then because i wasn't underweight yet..... i don't think you should have to become severely underweight to have anorexia it makes people who are at the beginning stages of anorexia want to become underweight sometimes
if doctors tell you that you have an eating disorder but don't specify, you were probably diagnosed with EDNOS/OSFED. that's what my diagnosis was and definitely doesn't mean it's any less severe or serious, just that you don't meet a few criteria for a specific one or your doctor doesn't want to give you the label of something specific! hope you're okay
I got diagnosed with the restricting subtype of anorexia and that day was one of the hardest. Everyday brings new challenges but I am thankful I got the help I did. I remember watching your videos searching for answers of what all my mental illnesses were before I went to see a therapist. You told me I deserved recovery and I just thank you for pushing me to receive help.
Excessive excersise I knew a girl that would run up and down the street everyday for exactly 4 hours without stopping. She did this when she was pregnant and after. She didnt have headphones or anything it was truly disturbing
Purge, in one sense, means "rid (someone of something) of an unwanted quality, condition, or feeling." I don't think she meant it to be an insulting statement. The word "purge" is so heavily associated with something else in the context of Eating Disorders, that I do see where you're coming from, but, at the same time I can see how exercising could be a "purge" of sorts if you're working off the definition above because it is another way of expelling a binge.
I’m late, but when I got my AN diagnosis, I was told that my excessive exercise was a form of purging. And that was from a widely known and recognized, as well as highly praised facility that specializes in EDs
I'm still not happy with how they diagnose EDs in the DSM. I don't know...all those different disorders and subtypes, it sometimes feels like we spend way too much time trying to figure out which eating disorder we have exactly. I read that about 60% of those who get diagnosed "only" meet the criteria for OSFED (and not for any of the "typical" eating disorders). I also think that there are probably quite a few people with an ED who don't meet the criteria for any of those diagnosis. I'm not saying that we should just completely throw out the different types of eating disorders, but I don't know...I just think they are still too exclusive. Like, not everyone with an ED experiences a fear of gaining weight. Not everyone even focuses on weightloss. Some people just stop eating and can't really explain why.
agreed. i started overweight but now im barely not overweight anymore but at a normal weight. i struggle with eating and its starting to get out of control (start of anorexia?) also im not exactly afraid of gaining weight, but just obsessed with losing weight. even if i wanted help right now, i cant get any because i dont fit any criteria yet. i do some anorexic behaviors though, but that will just bu put off as a phase.
In my recovery I am working towards accepting the fact that I am recovering from an eating disorder. This video really helped in that processes. It makes my diagnosis of anorexia real, but it also helped a lot for me to feel support. Thank you for everything you do! You are helping me work towards a better and healthier life.
I've been in recovery for 6 years, anxiety had me going to a lower weight than I should be and going back up is extremely hard because I find myself not wanting to. I still have the same psychiatrist and therapist and both say my ed is very much present and something I'll manage my whole life -this is my own specific case some people DO recover completely! :)- anyway, I'd been arguing with my psychiatrist about how I'm not "sick" -because I was close to organ failure when diagnosed- yet realising my mind is still ill. Thank you Katie
I hate the underweight requirement because I went from 210 lbs to 115 lbs with severe restricting in under a year but since I’m not “underweight” it feels like my sickness is invalidated
It sounds like you want to be officially diagnosed with anorexia for attention. Trust me being underweight and malnourished is not worth it. I'm underweight but it's from meth abuse. Many people ask me if I have cancer. Why would you want to look like a boney pale corpse?
#katifaq Kati, i feel fake all the time. I feel like i don't deserve any of my diagnosis that i'm making it all up. I feel like i tricked everyone to believe that i'm struggling with stuff. That im wasting time and money. Some days I can realize that this is not possible but there are days like today where i feel it so real that im faking everything (i dont know if that makes any sense at all). Is this a thing? is this normal?
I'm not diagnosed with anything but I'm scared to reach out to someone because I feel like I'm just faking it or making it up for attention even though I haven't told anyone?
I understand you, I've had anorexia for ages but I'm now FINALLY getting healthy. I got that feeling too sometimes and tbh that's your common sense coming out. But when u sit with the food ur supposed to eat u see what's wrong. You can see your behaviours etc. Also it's the Anorexia telling you that you're not sick and ur not worth getting help so "Ana" is just telling you that ur not sick. But you are. The diagnosis is well examined. You ARE sick, and you should be healthy.
I wish I had found your channel sooner I find these videos so helpful and can relate to a lot of them i battled anorexia for the past 12 years everyday is a battle I’ve also battled addiction as well
I got diagnosed with anorexia nervosa today, and, honestly, it feels worse than back then when I was diagnosed with scoliosis. I don't really want this to be true, I don't want to be "that one mentally ill kid" in school. I spent my last summer holidays in the hospital because of my scoliosis surgery, and my mother just cancelled my trip to Italy (which would've been for two weeks, starting at the end of this week, with my best friend and for the first time without my parents). That vacation was probably the one thing that kept me going since eastern, and now I'm facing another summer of sitting at home with my family, not doing anything. I thought I overcame my restriction-phase by myself, I thought I was eating enough to gain weight. Now I'm starting to feel bad about eating again, because, oh, I was diagnosed with this so I have to behave like people expect me to or I'm just making it up. I don't know what I'll tell the people in my class when they'll ask why I didn't go to Italy like I said.
Can you do an updated on osfed? What has changed about it and how to diagnose it ? I'm really curious and of course you're the only resource on RU-vid who can describe it perfectly 😘 also an updated Video on self harm?
Thank you for your videos Kati, sometimes hearing you talk clams me down. I wish I felt that way with my (ex) therapist. Sometimes I think about going back to see him but too many feelings and thoughts in the way. Anyhow, thank you for awesome videos!
I find the low body weight criteria frustrating ......I've been recovered and weight restored for 2 years. But I'm now slipping back into anorexia ...restricting, being scared of food, hearing the"anorexic voice ". I've been to doctor to ask for help and I'm told " your bmi is currently still in normal range I can't help until your bmi gets to 16!" This is crazy I've been at the low bmi (under 16) before and I know where this is going, I need help before I get to this point. I know what's happening and I need help. Telling me they can't help until I get really ill is ridiculous and only encourages the ED behaviour in order to get help. There should be help available before the sufferer gets to the point of being completely malnourished
Thank you for making this, I was confused about how someone who binges and purges could have anorexia, not bulimia. What are the differences between bulimia and the binging/purging anorexia?
+Maya Hall Anorexia with binge/purge subtype will have the 3 criteria Kati listed initially and then use binging & purging as a behavior, while still maintaining the 3 core criteria as the basis for the diagnosis of anorexia. Bulimia has a separate set of core criteria.
An anorexic binge is them eating an entire sandwich for example they feel as though they just consumed 400 calories with that one sandwich and feel guilt thus leading to purging. Bulimia binging is hundreds of thousands of calories in one sitting
I have recently gotten diagnosed with depression and bulimia nervosa and my psychiatrist urges me to get a therapist as I don't want to go inpatient and I've already overdosed once but after calling one therapist after the other, getting told over and over again that my insurance won't cover their sessions is exhausting!
I’ve switched back in forth between the AN-Binge-Purge type to the AN-Restrictive type so much within the last 6 years since I was diagnosed. In the beginning, I wouldn’t eat for days or weeks, and then after I felt I had done good enough, I would just... eat. A lot. I mean, maybe not a ton but it was a good amount of food. And then I’d exercise for hours at a time to burn it all of. My parents have told me that they saw me eating on our balcony, and they could tell that I was starving myself because of how I inhaled the food. And then I just went to straight up restrictive, which is my current diagnosis. Just not eating enough at all, way less than I need to be, and I have lost a crazy amount of weight in the last 2 weeks due to feeling stressed and out of control. I also ended up purging during one of the times I was diagnosed with AN-BP type.
love this awsome video kati your awsome I love all of your vids . I think it is so good that you take time out of your week to make these videos for us to make us aware of mental illness and what things can help if we think we have a mental illness or if we do . and what techniques we can put in place you have helped me and others so much thank you so much kati. 💙
I was diagnosed with anorexia b/p type in 2018 after struggling with it for years. I believed I wasn't anorexic because I would "lose control" and binge one night and then purge so I was in a constant cycle of restricting for days and then binging and making myself sick. I've been struggling with this since I was 13 and I'm 24 now. I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. It has taken years of my life that I will never get back. Damaged me in more ways than one. Just awful and now I'm in a relapse and can't afford help. I truly feel helpless and am at the bottom of my rope. I can't afford another hospitalization. I have thousands in bills already from my previous psych stays. I just don't know what to do at this point...
I love all your videos and you have helped me so much, so thank you a lot. I would love to see one about bulimia cuz I have been going through it for the last year but I dont know how to change it, I dont know how to calm myself down.. even when Im not hungry I WILL EAT EVERYTHING that I find and then Ill puke all of it.. My stomach hurt and sometimes I bleed but I cant calm down the anxiety of wanting to binge and then purge
Hey Kati! So the first criteria said that the restriction of energy intake causes low body weight, however my weight stays the same.. I don't eat from the time I wake up, which is about 6:30, to the time I get home from school at 4, and i refuse to eat anything during that time period, and if for whatever reason I do eat,i feel horrible. I weigh myself after school and typically I do lose weight, but I gain back, and usually more because I binge when I get home. I eat and eat and eat without being able to stop, but because of this my weight never goes under average since I everything I eat is more then the amount necessary then anyone should have in a day , if anything, my weight is a little over average which causes everything to go downhill. After I'm done eating, I attempt to purge, but for whatever reason it doesn't work for me, which makes me angry which usually leads to self harm.. Also, some days I go the whole day without eating anything which makes me feel extremely accomplished, but that is rare. Does this mean I don't have anorexia since I don't have low body weight? I've been told that I could have anorexia, but I've also been told I don't. I hope my explanation made sense, thank you so much!
Love your channel! Not connected to this video but my question is how common feeling so anxious that I throw up and how to calm down so I don't get sick? It doesn't happen that often but I still worry about it. I didn't see it covered in your anxiety playlist.
Ohk I have all the symptoms here. Only recently have regained into a normal weight category but i feel so bad that I am relapsing again down towards underweight. Just burned everything i ate today it felt so good i could eat chicken and salad without feeling guilty.
I struggle with an eating disorder. It's bee. classified as bulimia but I've also been told anorexia. I restrict, take diet pills, over exercize, stay up late to burn more calories instead of sleeping. When I do eat, I normally make myself throw up as a way to disapplin myself for not being behaved. I don't binge/purge. I absolutely hate myself for eating and it literally makes me not want to live. When I'm hungry, it gives me a sense of relief. Like I've been successful. I'm terrified of weight. Each ounce is a big deal. I set goals for weight and if I don't meet those goals then I must disapplin myself for each ounce I'm over. For example, 10 push up per ounce over, a cut for each ounce over. I look extremely fat and it scares me.I weigh myself multiple times a day. When I eat I don't do it to cope I do it because I have a heart condition and low blood pressure and get super sick sometimes. So when I eat, it's when I do not feel and in the verge of passing out.I'm not under weight. My bmi is around 18.3I guess my question is, am I bulimic or anorexic? It's so stressful when one doctor says bulimia and the other days anorexia. I'm just trying to learn more about my.
I love that you say we, it makes me feel included. I have a question. My therapist says I have anorexic tendencies but I'm over weight (according to my doctor and I)? So I'm just so confused.
Hey Katie love your videos😊! How do you get better if your constantly just going through the motions and don't want to be here? I suffer from depression, anxiety and recently have been diagnosed with PTSD. Thank for you for everything!
Hi Kati! Thanks for making this video again! It's so helpful and I love your channel :) I have a question for you. I'm currently studying abroad in Italy while in recovery from Bulimia. As someone in recovery, one of the first things I noticed while abroad was how people interact with food here. It's much different here than in the US. There is little to no body talk, no negative food talk, and I haven't heard anyone at all talk about diets or body image. The food is fresher and people aren't afraid to indulge. This has been very good for my recovery and the culture here has helped me make so much progress (I hit a "recovery plateau" at home) But it makes me think...are eating disorders only a Westernized illness? I know that that they aren't, but I'm so curious about how the culture may play a role in preventing the spread of EDs. Thank you so much!! xox
it's probs hard to know bc of the lack of diagnosis in 3rd world, and over diagnosis in 1st world, but ed's aren't always caused by food related issues, as you probably know, sometimes they start from stressful life events, but things we do, like counting calories, and branding healthy chips as "guilt free" definitely increase ed's. normal people do those things, but then more anxious, perfectionist people see that and take it to the extreme (at least that's what happened with me)
Hey. My family is always curious about weight. I am a very naturally petite girl. I feel fine. I eat actually a lot a fast food (smaller portions but I'm a grazer). I also am an aspie so I am really picky about my food. But it's never like a "I don't wanna get fat" thing. How do I handle this so my family knows I'm okay.
i still do anorexic behaviors but I've never been so happy being big! i started a test tren cycle and actually put on weight i can now lift 70kg whereas i couldn't lift myself out of bed before
Love your videos 🌝🌝 I would like to know about what the actual differences between anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa please? Is that the similarity between is that they both involve binge eating and purge? Thanks :)) will you do a video about person-centered therapy? 😉😉SUPPORT!!!
Thanks for your amazing videos, support and psychoeducation, Kati. I know this is an old one but anorexia 101 videos are so important. I do have a question… I’m currently in a pretty horrible relapse with AN at the moment, after fifteen years of being much better. I really didn’t see it coming and it sneaked back in so painfully slowly 😢 Anywho… I’m confused as to which subtype I come under. I primarily restrict and compensate with exercise. But I sometimes purge through vomiting, but after eating a relatively small number of calories. I’m confused as to whether I would fall under restricting or binge/purge subtype when I restrict and purge but not binge? Thanks!
+Kati Morton (Mental Health Vlogger) Thanks Kati! I don't have a treatment team and I know my family would not approve of it... and I don't think I have a big problem either. But thanks for replying anyways!
i'm not underweight but i purge or don't eat much for a few days and then i eat a lot which makes me not underweight idk i hate my body and i never miss a chance to observe myself in the mirror and criticize myself and i stare at myself and i insist i'm disgusting but so many people tell me how small i am and i absolutely cannot see it. the worst part is i don't want to stop but i want to be extremely small but i wouldn't be happy if i was i was looking at pictures of me from a few months ago and i was smaller . i hate myself now bc i know i'm not that small anymore ,and i didn't even realize i was that small at the time i want to be that small again so i don't want to stop, but i also don't love exercising but i don't mind it if that makes sense but it's not excessive.. i want to be underweight though i want to be an extremely small person and i told my dad that if i got to the point of hospitalization then i'd be content bc i know that im that small. i like being severely sick bc i know when i'm that sick i won't eat. i love being able to see my ribs and hip bones stick out a lot. i hate my body and idk what to even consider myself i need help
+Kati Morton (Mental Health Vlogger) thank you Kati! They are my favorite things. After I spend an hour with them, I feel calmer and more confidence of my self even if I was just looking at their lovely faces. 😊
I had a friend a long time ago who suddenly had to go to hospital and it turned out to be an eating disorder. What I don't get is that she said that it was a surprise even to her to get the diagnosis that the doctor had said her heart might stop if she doesn't get treated. Was that friend lying to people or she seriously didn't know what was happening?
Can a dietician diagnose you with an ED? Also, my therapist won’t diagnose me with anorexia because I’m not severely underweight but others tell me I look unwell. I’ve went from 200lbs to 150lbs within 2 months. I’m starving consistently and purge even if I consume 1k calories or even 20 calories. What does this sound like? I also don’t do binges and a binge to me looks like 1k calories or less. I overuse laxatives and exercise excessively.
Struggled w anorexia nervosa (PB sub) for 12 years I've "considered" myself recovered presnet day at 24. Only now I have avoidance eating rituals and am experiencing what I call the reversal effects. My heart is shifty, I have metabolic acidosis, glucose problems, a UPJ obstruction in my right kidney that my team has left untreated. I'm from Northern California and I might have to sue Sutter Health bc they are withholding my medical records from Center For Discovery. I have a family history of heart disease and severe anemia and since the month of Sept 2020 I have had 24 tubes of blood removed from my body and my doctor has been reluctant, evil and passive aggressive on any sort of timely response. Please. P,ease. Help
One of my friend was diagnosed with Anorexia nervosa. He consulted various Allopathic Doctors but not much relief was there. Then I told him about Planet Ayurveda. He visited here and took medicine for it - Digestion support, etc. He took medicine for about 1-month, still using it, its results are amazing.
hey, so for my whole life i’ve been struggling with body image and weight. but lately for the past week or so i’ve started randomly counting calories and not eating foods that are above 10 calories. i still do this but my bmi says im overweight so i don’t think it needs medical attention. i also exercise often and i’ve began to lose energy and feel dizzy or sick yet i still don’t think i need medical attention because of my bmi. i also stand on the scale often and when i can like 0.5lb i get really upset no begin to workout or do crunches. i just wanted to know if i should tell someone. my friends know but no trusted adult like my school tutor or parents know.
i really just dont know if i have a eating disorder. the doctor saying im normal weight makes me sick cuz i think normal is way to fat, i think of food 24/7 and it disgusts me . ill try not to eat all day but then around 8 at night im so hungry i go for just a small snack but i end up binging and i feel like im gunna puke yet never make myself puke and i may only work out for 10 mins then just cry and lay in bed cuz i have failed and just try to starve again . just an ongoing cycle and idk how to make it end. im barley underweight and i dont purge or excessively work out yet food makes me sick and the fear of gaining weight is extreme. i just dont know if this is a eating disorder or not.
Hey Kati, what if we don't want to eat because we cant be bothered and just don't like eating anymore, but it doesnt have anything to do with weight. What would that be?
Hey Kati, do you know anything about psychogenic seizures? One kid at school started having them this year, and they're really triggering to me. I've done some research, and it seems that they are more mental than physical, with more than 50% of sufferers having suffered child abuse. Also, it seems the only way to cure these is through therapy. Just wondering if you've had any clients with this problem.
Fantastic, reasonable, realistic updates. Hats-off to the psychiatric community. No more BMI, sans period, one-size fits all structure. This disease looks different on everyone who suffers.
I was confused for a long time and thought maybe I have ednos because I have periods of restriction and then binging/purging again... But I've lost a lot of weight and I meet the criteria you list in the beginning of the video, so I guess it's Anorexia binge/purge type?
Hey! This is very helpful- it's just so frustrating because I don't have a clue what I have. I have basically had bulimia for a year now and I'm getting minimal help with a psychiatrist but I also starve myself throughout most days. I have been doing this on and off for over a month. I have lost weight but I am not underweight. Is this bulimia, anorexia or EDNOS? Thanks X
Kati what are the steps of treatment for bulimia nervosa in individual therapy for dbt. I feel like we are stuck to just eating every 4 hours which is helpful but im still using other behaviors too. I want to move to the next step but im also scared of the unknown.
good video kati. is it possible for you to live long time with this life rhythm? is been 10 years or so since all this thoughts started it. i loose and gain weight on and off yeap so tired and currently underweight (diagnosed already) i was just thinking, after 10 years of this I dont think Im that sick or gotten that ill....?????
Hi, I'm so sorry for the stupid question.. but when does drinking alcohol become a problem ? I'm 17 years old an drink like 4/5 days a week, I often sneak alcohol with me to school. When I'm drinking I do not feel so up tight as normal. (Drinking also helps with eating less, what also is a real struggle..) sorry for the bad english..
So can a person have anorexia nervosa without being really underweight? If the criteria says you have to be underweight, they would deny your help? I never understood this :(
Hi Katie, I love this video, just one question ; Can you be bulimic and be overweight many people say to me, I can't be bulimic because on BMI I'm overweight but I purge after every meal. Please help I feel so alone :(
My doctors don’t believe me and say that my food issues are all my fault and they can’t help me. I can’t get help without my doctor recommending it. My doctors say that I’m not trying to help myself so that they can’t help me anymore.
Hi Katie I just watched your video on depression and I have all those symptoms. I believe it is related to my girlfriend breaking up with me but when she first dumped me I was fine. Now when we talk I feel good but when we don't all I can think about is what we had. I've been having suicidal thoughts and much more. What should I do?
How do you suggest someone who is an vegan get help with and eating disorder ? I know veganism can be seen as a form of restriction. But what if they are vegan for moral reasons, not dietary ?
I am a vegan with anorexia; in recovery. I plan on making an entire video tackling this subject on my channel. The most important thing to remember is get plenty of dense-calorie sources such as nuts & legumes. Even some vegan junk food, especially in recovery is crucial. It teaches us to step out of our comfort zone. I am on a high-fat (avocados, nuts, seeds, legumes) plus fruit & veg, & I have managed to improve my heart health (I've suffered a heart attack in the past due to my ED) & gain weight, guilt_free. Hope this helps. :)
I was diagnosed with AN Restricting subtype. I didn't binge, but I did purge. So I feel like in a way I was kind of in the middle of the two subtypes? I definitely restricted, but I also purged (and over-exercised, and use diuretics and laxatives). Is there a name for this?
Hi Kati. Is it normal to feel embarrassed about an eating disorder? I struggled with anorexia about 4 years ago. At that time, I was kinda proud of my disorder and told lots of people about it. I'm struggling with it again now but I'm pretty embarrassed about it and keeping it a secret from everyone (except my treatment team). Is this normal? And do you have any advice to not feel so embarrassed or ashamed about my eating disorder? Thanks
yeah that's pretty normal due to the stigma around mental illness. but you shouldn't be embarrassed bc there shouldn't be so much stigma around it, the goal for society is to be able to discuss it just as we would physical illness
So I've got a question. Let's say you get diagnosed with PTSD because you have the qualifying symptoms. Then, you got to therapy and you eradicate several of the symptoms. You technically wouldn't qualify anymore for the diagnosis. Do you still consider yourself as someone who has PTSD? Or are you diagnosis-free?
#katifaq So I'm diagnosed as having osfed. I've had this issue for 15+ years, I completed an iop program in February of this year. The therapist I was referred to doesn't really deal with ed's so I haven't been seeing one. I have relapsed a bit into my behaviors. I guess I'm wondering does that mean I'm just not ready to be well or that I will never be well. Ty in advance.
why stop self harming ... I mean we use it as a coping skill just as some people use smoking or drinking and they are accepted but self harm isn't , why should we stop if its only our coping skill, if we are careful and we take care of any injuries then why are shouldn't we self harm , I hope that makes sense ...
Anything that is used as a crutch or in an excessive behavior is bad and unhealthy for you. You shouldn’t have to rely on some outside source other than yourself and a few close friends to feel better. It’s not easy though.
I used to know someone who insisted that anorexics were just control freaks and that they just wanted attention. He acted like they were choosing to have their disorder. His treatment plan for them was just strap them down and put a feeding tube in them, no therapy whatsoever. He showed no compassion. Even worse, this was a person who claimed to have a degree in psychology and worked in psych ward. Oh, he also seemed to think perfectly mentally healthy girls could become anorexic after seeing one on tv. I suppose a person could also become schizophrenic after seeing a person with the illness on tv. *sarcasm*
