Stigma-ed by IBS, eating disordered label
08/13/04 09:33 AM
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Nelly
Reged: 08/06/04
Posts: 4381
Loc: Within stray mortar fire of DC
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I can really relate to what Vicam posted about her doctors:
Vicam said:
Quote:
Sadly, they're sort of treating me like an eating disorder case, which makes me really mad because I asked for help so many times from the other doctors, and was upfront about what I was and wasn't eating, and none of them helped me, and eating disorder people generally hide it.
[Nelly jumps up and gasps: YES! I CAN RELATE!]
Thank you Vicam, so much for your post.
Did any of you have this in your late teens or early twenties, and were handled like you had an eating disorder like anorexia or bulimia? How do you overcome that with your loving, well-meaning supporters?
I had the hardest time when I was 19 and had my night IBS-D attacks. I quit college and moved home because of them. I couldn't keep anything in my system and would emerge half-starved from a night of constant explosive D with ravenous hunger. During the day, I just wanted to eat whatever was around to get rid of the sucking, empty feeling in my gut, even though I knew that I'd get sick as a dog as a result.
When my first doc (evil GI man) saw me, he made the armchair analysis in 10 minutes that I must be bulimic.
I have to admit that if it isn't happening to you, it's hard to explain it to someone without it sounding like bulimia. It didn't help my case that I was young and underweight (so no credibility), and had all this anxiety and stress from the IBS and loss of sleep. And it was being explained to him by my mother, who although meaning well, just didn't have all the facts.
I actually had this first doc tell my mom to report to him if I showed "any more" signs of bulimia… and it didn't do anything for my credibility with my mom, I'll tell you that.
To this day she doesn't believe that I have IBS, even though I've had my recent doc sit her down and tell her that IBS was what is causing this behavior. I'm 33, and it's like I'm 19 and in that first doctor's office.
It doesn't help my case that these "signs" actually help me: hypervigilance, monitoring food intake, eating at home, being close to a bathroom, talking about "triggers," etc...
~nel~
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