I guess I have questions that maybe someone can answer. I was raised by an anorexic mother and have focused my life on eating healthy and exercising. I am very muscular, which has always bothered. I think I've always had anorexic tendencies, but over the past two years I have become much more extreme. I don't binge, but when I do eat something I purge. I have begun to take diet pills and have been hospitalized twice in the past year from passing out. I finally tried to tell a doctor about my ED because the fact that I am now vomitting blood and have pretty bad heart palpatations scared me. The doctor said, "Well you are obviously not anorexic because you are a 'normal weight'." My behavior fits that of anorexia, but due to the fact that I am an athlete and quite muscular I'm afraid that I'll be very sick once I do get to the weight I want to be. My husband and friends are concerned, but I don't know how to stop. I make jokes about it with my husband, but he is a medical provider so I think he understands the severety of the problem, which for some reason makes me feel angry at him. To look at me I do not look anorexic or 'skinny'. I feel like if I can just lose more than maybe someone will take me serious when I seek help. I'm a mommy and I don't want my kids to be raised by someone who can't even love herself. What do I do?

Any doctor should take vomiting blood and heart palpitations seriously. Find another doctor and another treatment team. There is an ED NOS--not otherwise specified, which sounds like what you are fitting into. Don't struggle to lose more weight to fit the typical anorexia diagnosis. Any ED is serious, and you deserve treatment for it. You don't want your kids to pick up on your habits and live life that way.

Vomiting blood and heart palpitations are very, very serious. You need to find someone who specializes in treating EDs or even consider inpatient treatment. You don't want your kids growing up without a mother because you're dead from your ED and didn't seek help until you were "officially" diagnosed with anorexia. Please look for help from someone specialized in EDs.

[QUOTE=Irunfar;2819791]I finally tried to tell a doctor about my ED because the fact that I am now vomitting blood and have pretty bad heart palpatations scared me. The doctor said, "Well you are obviously not anorexic because you are a 'normal weight'." QUOTE]

Find a different doctor! Just because you are not at the weight criteria for anorexia according to the DSM IV does not mean that it is not an eating disorder! That is why there is a 'not otherwise specified' category.

My family doctor did not take me very seriously either for the same reason as yours, and I made the mistake of restricting more until I WAS at the 'anorexic weight'. Get the treatment you need before it gets that far!

Take care and good luck!

A few things I have a mom who is anorexic and was m whole life and I'm in recovery. Its hard when she won't change but I have to focus on what will make me healthy mentally and physically. Also you sound like in a abd place. I have had severe cardiac issues in the past that landed me in the cardiac unit and was not diagnosed by a docter before. I say if you feel bad get another opinion or go to the er. Also that its not just about weight as I have a friend who was anorexic but never reached underweight but had to get a pace maker. Please reach out for help also for therapy and maybe you can even find a gp that is in the ed field that is harder. [removed] Please take care

Hi,
I agree, even though your weight it low its not all about weight its about food being a positive in you life.
[removed]
recovering alcohol and food eating disorder

"Well you are obviously not anorexic because you are a 'normal weight'."

If I may say so, that's insane. IMO, it's pure fallacy that all anorexics are underweight, and I'm a perfect example of that. I have been on a cycle of anorexia/recovery for almost 40 years, and the only reason nobody knows about it is because I'm always able to come up with a "logical" explanation for significant weight loss. As a result of this nearly life-long cycle, my metabolism is trashed and for the past ten years or so I have been medically overweight more often than not, but I still have anorexia, I still have that compulsion.

I don't have such dramatic and alarming symptoms as you do, but if I did, I would definitely go hunting for a doctor who took me seriously.

Just my two cents' worth.

Blessings ... and best of luck to you!

sp

From a medical standpoint, if you are not underweight, you are not anorexic. to be labelled anorexic, you need to fulfill 3 criteria (according to the DSM, a claissification manual for abnormal behaviour), including one being 85% or lower of a normal weight for your height. i think this is why the dr ruled out anorexia.

however, you may have anorexic tendencies and you do have an eating disorder. and the fact that you made a cry for help and your dr ignored it is irresponsible.

you need to either get a new doc or reiterate to this dr that you have an ED. there is a subsection of anorexia that purges (although again, you need to be underweight to fit this classification). possibly you are what a pp specified ed nos, or bulimic. Bulimic people are a lot of the times a 'normal weight'.