I feel like I'm always the person that people make comments to about eating disorders. People who have no idea that I've spent the last 3 years binging and purging and starving myself. People who dont know i've been trying to lose weight since 3rd grade.
Tonight at work it was this:
J: "I shouldn't have eaten that. Oh well I'll just go make myself throw up." (Jokingly)
Me: "No, don't say that! That's awful."
J: "Haha, I know, just kidding."
K: "I could never be bulimic. I would cry every single time I threw up. Besides, I heard it doesn't even work."

And I'm standing here listening to this thinking, they have no idea....and other people keep making comments about not eating, or eating only one meal a day to lose weight, and i'm just holding back the urge to scream.

Does this happen to anybody else? What are you supposed to say in a situation like that?

Yep, happens to me all the time. People around me will poke fun at bulimia. Of course, not knowing how i struggle with it, so I don't say anything.

Another thing I get all the time.....people asking me how I stay so slim.
Hard to answer.

honestly, i think that it's often just best to say nothing at all. you need to call on your inner strength and progress to keep yourself sane through these moments and then change the subject as quickly as possible. with casual friends, etc. you run the risk of saying "too much," you know? so unless it's someone close to you and you are willing to tell them everything (ie: if your cousin starts talking about how she's eating 1 meal a day to lose weight) to protect them, keep your mouth shut. try to be stronger than the moment (cuz you know you are!) and get the conversation moving as quickly as possible. i know it's really tough to stick out these situations, but you just gotta do it sometimes.

yeah, this happens to me too.. like today, my friend asked me if i was on a diet..i just wanted to say, yeah i'm bulimic.. the best form of diet there is.. u eat what u want, but still stay slim...............of course this is utter rubbish, but it annoys me a lot and there are so many people who don't understand how sensitive people with eating disorders are when it comes to discussing food.. i always go really quiet, as food to me, is a totally different thing that what it means to other people without the problem.

x

I've come to the conclusion that unless you're in the middle of it, an ED is impossible to truly understand, or at the very least, even slightly identify with it.

I get frustrated at the people who love me, who just don't seem to understand how much of a hold this has on me. I've tried my best to explain it to them.

But those that are not close to me....no way. Don't even go there. Just have to brush it off.

How could anyone who hasn't experienced it understand it, though, really! I TOTALLY understand it while not understanding it at all myself.