How can I overcome diabulimia?

[Anonymous Question]

Anonymous question submitted:

I was just wondering if anybody has suffered from diabulimia and have managed to overcome the condition.. I'm asking because as a young female i'm currently trying to beat diabulimia .. I'm a type one diabetic and have been for 19 years but only recently at 27 years old started to suffer with diabulimia for no apparent reason... Can anyone who may have gone through it and beaten it offer any helpful tips to combat this.. Much appreciated !!..

To submit a question, please go to http://www.diabetes.co.uk/ask-an-anonym ... stion.html

 

[mrman]

Hi, sorry to read this but thankfully have not had that myself. There is however support available at DWED diabetics with eating disorders. Think they also have a forum so you can discuss with a vast majority of people who could probably offer loads of advice. Hope you overcome it soon as I'm sure you know can lead to serious complications. Good luck

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[Mimastones]

I was diagnosed with type 1 7 years ago when I was 13 and have suffered with diabulimia for 5 of those years. Still trying to fight it


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[Lucypieee]

I went through diabulimia, I actually wrote about it on my blog http://lucypieee.wordpress.com/2013/06/ ... h-so-real/

It's such a difficult thing to overcome, but by admitting it, you've taken the first step. What helped me the most is talking about it, I started injecting properly when I decided that I wanted an insulin pump, I knew I had to try to take care of myself before they would consider letting me have one.

It's a long road, and even when taking my injections and doing everything right, I still had slip ups. But I'm determined to not let my diabetes destroy my life.

I really hope you can make it through this, I wouldn't wish diabulimia on anyone.


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[lucyrobins]

I'm sorry to hear you are going through this. I too have suffered with this and it has been a long battle to regain control of my diabetes and my life.

It's so hard because i knew what I had to do and why I had to do it but the desire to lose weight and the fear of gaining weight just totally took over. I always told myself that when I was thin enough I would start doing insulin again and eat healthily but even when I reached 6 stone I couldnt stop.

For me a huge wake up call was when I started to suffer from awful relentless pain in my legs. I was diagnosed with neuropathy. Then I needed laser treatment on my eyes. I didn't have the energy to go to work or uni. I couldnt sleep and withdrew from friends. I felt my life was falling apart.

I decided one day that I was going to fight and I did; although it was slow progress. It was especially hard when I started to put on weight- I literally cried every day when I weighed myself... so I stopped weighing. I think that at that time I just had to accept that I hated my body and that I was going to put on weight and that at least I would be alive and healthy.

I got to a good natural weight for my height and stopped gaining weight then. I eat healthily now and inject as I should. I am now working on loving the body I have and I am getting there. I think maybe I will always want to be thinner...

I know right now you are probably frustrated and frightened and don't understand why you feel like you do... but please know that it's possible to climb out of the hole you are in- it's hard but you can do it. I finished uni, got married and I am a teacher- things I never thought I could do.


If I can ever do anything to help or support you i would be happy to talk.

 

[AndBreathe]

I'm sorry to hear you are going through this. I too have suffered with this and it has been a long battle to regain control of my diabetes and my life.

It's so hard because i knew what I had to do and why I had to do it but the desire to lose weight and the fear of gaining weight just totally took over. I always told myself that when I was thin enough I would start doing insulin again and eat healthily but even when I reached 6 stone I couldnt stop.

For me a huge wake up call was when I started to suffer from awful relentless pain in my legs. I was diagnosed with neuropathy. Then I needed laser treatment on my eyes. I didn't have the energy to go to work or uni. I couldnt sleep and withdrew from friends. I felt my life was falling apart.

I decided one day that I was going to fight and I did; although it was slow progress. It was especially hard when I started to put on weight- I literally cried every day when I weighed myself... so I stopped weighing. I think that at that time I just had to accept that I hated my body and that I was going to put on weight and that at least I would be alive and healthy.

I got to a good natural weight for my height and stopped gaining weight then. I eat healthily now and inject as I should. I am now working on loving the body I have and I am getting there. I think maybe I will always want to be thinner...

I know right now you are probably frustrated and frightened and don't understand why you feel like you do... but please know that it's possible to climb out of the hole you are in- it's hard but you can do it. I finished uni, got married and I am a teacher- things I never thought I could do.


If I can ever do anything to help or support you i would be happy to talk.

Lucy, the thread you have contributed so beautifully to is actually pretty aged, so you may not hear from those folks. Perhaps posting as you have will help others post though.

We have a forum for T1 Diabetics with Eating Disorders. here:

http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/category/eating-disorders-and-diabetes.77/

It's clearly a very sensitive subject for those in the midst of it, but I do hope your post has helped give hope to those in the unfortunate loop. Thank you.

 

[Liz35]

Anonymous question submitted:

I was just wondering if anybody has suffered from diabulimia and have managed to overcome the condition.. I'm asking because as a young female i'm currently trying to beat diabulimia .. I'm a type one diabetic and have been for 19 years but only recently at 27 years old started to suffer with diabulimia for no apparent reason... Can anyone who may have gone through it and beaten it offer any helpful tips to combat this.. Much appreciated !!..

To submit a question, please go to http://www.diabetes.co.uk/ask-an-anonym ... stion.html

Hiya
Sorry to hear you're feeling this. I'm a type 1 who has overcome diabulimia... Unfortunately with my story the only thing that snapped me out if it was I thought I had developed eye complications.... Thankfully my condition had turned out to be something totally different to which I'm fine now. The fear and regret I had when I thought I'd lose my vision scared me into gaining the perspective I have now... I had been skipping injections, constantly weighing myself, skipping appointments, avoiding getting my hba1cs done.i was constantly checking for ketones.... I never entered ketoacidosis but I felt so unwell.
I still have the body issues.... So I'm now channelling it into being the "ideal diabetic". It's hard but I feel good. By ideal diabetic i mean I'm controlling my sugars, eating three decent meals..... Halving the carbs I was eating but doubling my veg and having snacks such as wheat crackers. It tastes awful at first but you will feel great and can do it. Insulin is a fat storer.... It will take us double what it will take non diabetics and bodies can be unforgiving.... I am doing it now.... You can also do it!!
There are times I still wonder well if I didnt take insulin I would lose weight in weeks and go back on before it troubles me..... Truth is complications can come on suddenly and the few weeks could be the difference between complications in our 40s as opposed to later in life. Try talk some sense into yourself in a way.... It's only thing works for me. I hope I helped in some way. You're not alone.

 

[AndBreathe]

Hiya
Sorry to hear you're feeling this. I'm a type 1 who has overcome diabulimia... Unfortunately with my story the only thing that snapped me out if it was I thought I had developed eye complications.... Thankfully my condition had turned out to be something totally different to which I'm fine now. The fear and regret I had when I thought I'd lose my vision scared me into gaining the perspective I have now... I had been skipping injections, constantly weighing myself, skipping appointments, avoiding getting my hba1cs done.i was constantly checking for ketones.... I never entered ketoacidosis but I felt so unwell.
I still have the body issues.... So I'm now channelling it into being the "ideal diabetic". It's hard but I feel good. By ideal diabetic i mean I'm controlling my sugars, eating three decent meals..... Halving the carbs I was eating but doubling my veg and having snacks such as wheat crackers. It tastes awful at first but you will feel great and can do it. Insulin is a fat storer.... It will take us double what it will take non diabetics and bodies can be unforgiving.... I am doing it now.... You can also do it!!
There are times I still wonder well if I didnt take insulin I would lose weight in weeks and go back on before it troubles me..... Truth is complications can come on suddenly and the few weeks could be the difference between complications in our 40s as opposed to later in life. Try talk some sense into yourself in a way.... It's only thing works for me. I hope I helped in some way. You're not alone.

Liz - thank you for posting so beautifully about your past life and your journey to where you are now.

This thread is quite old, and had been dormant for some time before lucyrobbins posted just the other day. I only point that out to manage your expectations of hearing from the original poster.

I do hope you can feel comfortable hanging around the forum, and join in with us all.

Thanks again for your post.