Aspies and Eating Disorders

[Siamese]

Hello everyone. I'm a female Aspie and was formally diagnosed 18 months ago at age 49. Since I was about 14, I've also had an eating disorder, specifically bulimia. Although I've never forced myself to vomit, I will go on eating binges and then "purge" by fasting or eating very little for a couple of days. In retrospect, I believe this all began as an attempt at self medication for the extreme anxiety I experienced as a young teen due to the undiagnosed Asperger's. I was initially borderline anorexic when this began. It eventually evolved into bulimia by the time I was 15 and has continued more or less unabated to the present day. I've just begun an intensive outpatient program for eating disorders which includes group and individual therapy. While the group therapy is a real challenge for me, the other participants were very accepting and empathetic when I disclosed that I had Asperger's. However, no one else in the group is actually on the spectrum nor do they seem to have the difficulties I experience with articulating thoughts and feelings. I'd like to know if there's anyone else out there who's coping with an eating disorder along with Asperger's who could share their experiences.

 

[Aspieistj]

I have been fat all my life. I love tasting. Food owns me. Being fat makes me miserable. I have yo-yo dieted many time during my life. I am now 71 and hold my weight at around 170, down from a lifetime high of 247. I was 5'2" when I was younger. I have never observed other Aspies to count how many are overweight so I don't know if there is a connection. I do know that being an Aspie has absolutely ruined my life and eating is a huge pleasure for me.

 

[Beverly]

I don't eat a lot most days, 900 to 1000 calories. If I go over that, I schedule myself extra time for my next workout to burn the excess calories I consumed. I have a slow metabolism and, gain weight at 1100 calories per day so, I don't consider myself as having an eating disorder or problem with food, I just can't eat much period and, I refuse to become my mother - she weighed over 300lbs when I was 16 and, she was only 5'2" Last I heard, she never lost any weight.

 

[Madame Catfish]

I tend to forget to eat and then overeat when I remember. Unlike most girls my age, it is less of a body image/ stupid health thing than it is absent-mindedness. My weight has yo-yoed my entire life due to this inconstancy and I'm constantly either in a state of being over or under weight with little time in between. As of now I am on one of my skinny spells and need to remember to eat. Sometimes I just can't eat. It will be a day or two without food but the thought of eating makes me sick. It might have to do with my medication. Hope you get feeling better! Have you ever considered that maybe the bulimia became a sort of stimm for you? Maybe the ritual of it and the control you had over it acted like a stimm in response to a certain stress. If you find the original stress the stimm might go away? Maybe not. Just an idea. Like I said, hope you get better!

 

[Progster]

Once or twice in my life I've gone through periods of being very underweight - I'm 1.72m and at one point I weighed only 45 kilos, and my periods stopped. My family started to worry that I had anorexia, and I was taken to the doctor. But the doctor didn't diagnose me with anorexia nervosis. Instead, he arranged counselling for me. My weight loss was due to anxiety, depression and stress. When I'm anxious or stressed, I lose appetite, and become very rigid in my routines and eating habits, and I exercise more. This is a way of coping with the stress. I don't display all the typical symptoms of anorexia nervosis - I'm not obsessed with losing weight, I don't imagine that I'm fat, and eating or weight gain doesn't make me anxious. I never miss a meal; in fact, missing a meal or not eating at the right time of day makes me extremely anxious - as I said above, I have a strict daily routine. I don't exercise in order to lose weight, but to calm down when I feel anxious. I also used to walk everywhere because I didn't want to use public transport. I feel better after taking exercise. I'm now 60 kilos, a normal, healthy weight for my height.

 

[AsheSkyler]

I've spent most of my life underweight, although that was due to a biological disorder thwarting all attempts to gain weight and generally being pretty athletic growing up. On top of that, I'm not a comfort eater. If I'm upset, my stomach feels like it twists up in knots and I lose my appetite. Heh, and I often did the typical Aspie/artist thing where I got really wrapped up in something interesting and the next thing I know it's been 14 hours since I looked up! I got plenty of irritating accusations of having an eating disorder for being a bag of bones, especially as a teenager. Never did binge though (except for the holidays, that was some good stuff!) since that overstuffed feeling wasn't pleasant.

 

[Gingerlass27]

Once or twice in my life I've gone through periods of being very underweight - I'm 1.72m and at one point I weighed only 45 kilos, and my periods stopped. My family started to worry that I had anorexia, and I was taken to the doctor. But the doctor didn't diagnose me with anorexia nervosis. Instead, he arranged counselling for me. My weight loss was due to anxiety, depression and stress. When I'm anxious or stressed, I lose appetite, and become very rigid in my routines and eating habits, and I exercise more. This is a way of coping with the stress. I don't display all the typical symptoms of anorexia nervosis - I'm not obsessed with losing weight, I don't imagine that I'm fat, and eating or weight gain doesn't make me anxious. I never miss a meal; in fact, missing a meal or not eating at the right time of day makes me extremely anxious - as I said above, I have a strict daily routine. I don't exercise in order to lose weight, but to calm down when I feel anxious. I also used to walk everywhere because I didn't want to use public transport. I feel better after taking exercise. I'm now 60 kilos, a normal, healthy weight for my height.

I can really relate to your post Progster