Have you or anyone you know suffered with bulimia or an eating disorder that appeared in later life?

Question

I'm researching the subject of eating disorders that arise in older women, especially bulimia (but including others). I would be interested to hear from people who are in this position or who have overcome a eating disorder that began when they were 35+. If it happened to you or someone you know, can you tell me what you think the cuases were, and how did you deal with it? What support did you have? Where did you turn? If you've now overcome it, what is life like for you?

Also, do you know anything about why eating disorders start in older people, especially as they usually associated with the pressures that younger people are under?

If you'd be happy for me to ask you more questions in private please leave your contact details.

Answer 1

Interesting quesiton. I myself am only 17, but I have talked to and counselled people who are older with an eating disorder.

Eating disorders are on the rise in older women, and its quite a drastic rise. From what I've seen, many older people are faced every day with young and perfect stereotypes, to the point that they start to blend reality with the media. They see adverts as people, rather than adverts, and crave something more.

It hasn't been very long since women were given equal rights, and many find that they are now reaching a point, similar to men, where they suddenly realise that they're older, they have a family and a job, and are now bored with their life. And so, they tend to latch on to ohter things, and other ways to control themselves. In many cases, its their eating that gets affected.

I don't think that anybody fully recovers from an eating disorder. They can learn to ignore the voices and to love themselves, but there is always a chance that something may spring back up.

Good luck.

Answer 2

Lady living in Devon27 yrs.

What an intresting subject,i had anorexia and bulima at the age of 15 to 18 yrs..it came back after the birth of my second child..what triggers this i think is extreame stress,some people drink,some poeple get addicted to things becuse they cannot deal with thier emontional pain.When i was active in this sense i used to feel i was in control starving myself,taking laxatives etc.It has something to do with childhood too..if you were abused emontionaly as a child..and you were brought up to feel you were stupid..then you are bound to deveolp some confidence problem and it "manafests"itself and keeps coming out.I can not put into words this complex subject which is so interlinked with mental health..hope i have given you few insights.

my e-mail adress si :[e-mail]

Answer 3

i've been bulimic and anorexic