How do i hide it?

Question

I've got alot of things going on, and i mean alot and its stressing me out to no end. I find it that the stress becomes easier to manage when i dont eat. Dont judge me, i just feel like at least i can do something right. My dad has threatened to send me to an eating disorders clinic if i ever get one but i dont have one ,i just dont want to eat. And its my choice so thats that. But the last thing i want is to be hospitalised over nothing, so how do i hide my ...lack of appetite from my family?

Answer 1

eating will make you feel better believe it or not. i went through the same exact thing a while ago. eating healthy foods such as fruit and veggies will make you feel a billion times better!

Answer 2

Hi Unreal,

I am not sure how long this "lack of apetite" has been going on.. so i my advise may not be completely acurate. Did you no aneroxia is termed as 'a nervous lack of apetite?'...which sounds abit like what your going through doesn't it? I don't judge you at all, simply because i have done it myself and i have had an eating disorder for 3 years now. But perhaps you should see someone about your feelings and the issues stressing you out, which are causing your disordered eating pattern? What about a close friend, family memmber, school teacher, counsellor etc...it may really help. You could go to your doctor.
Hiding not eating is extremely difficult if you still live at home, it's actually nearly impossible....i know! So you are going to have to eat something....i do think you need help and guidance...i'm not saying you have an eating disorder because i don't know..but i do think you need a little help with the problems that are stressing you out so much. Please confide in someone who can help.even if it just lets you get it off your chest!

Best of luck !
x

Answer 3

A lack of appetite is a common symptom of depression, see the link below

http://www.mind.org.uk/Information/Booklets/Understanding/Understanding+depression

I have to admit that one of my classic signs of being unwell is the fact that I stop eating, and have been known to go for days and sometimes weeks without having a proper meal.

I do understand your feelings that not eating, is something that you are actually in control of, despite everything else feeling like it's taking over and you have no say any of it.

I do not class myself as having an eating disorder, and although friends, support workers and also health professions such as GP and psychiatrist know about my loss of appetite, no-one has ever said that I might have.

If you want to find more information then look at the link that is about eating disorders, it may help you to understand why others think you may have a problem

http://www.mind.org.uk/Information/Booklets/Understanding/Understanding+eating+distress.htm

I would suggest that the best thing for you to do is make an appointment to see your GP and discuss this and also the things that are stressing you out. He/she will be able to advise you and tell you if they think you need help, either medication or another therapy.

If you find that you would prefer not to do anything so formal, then see if there is a local Mind association close to you

http://www.mind.org.uk/Mind+in+your+area/

they are informal, have great knowledge and understanding and are easy to access. All you need to do is make a phone call.

Rather than hiding the fact that you don't have an appetite, why not give yourself the help you deserve, and try to get to the root of your reason for not wanting to eat...

Please consider it, as I know from personal experience that a lack of appetite can be a problem that needs looking at, but it doesn't have to mean "eating disorder".

I would never judge you or anyone else, as we all have different reasons for doing things, but I can understand how you are feeling, and so for that reason I'm asking that you get yourself the help and support that you deserve.

Good luck and take care.

Answer 4

Are you actually losing weight and eating nothing/very little? Ive suffered from bulimia and anorexia. You cant hide either unfortunately and it's obsessive. I even resorted to going out in the garden at 2am to vomit into a bucket after a binge so no-one would know!! It is all short term relief and control, that's the problem, it doesnt tackle the root cause of what triggered it in the first place! You say it makes you feel like you can 'do something right'. Is someone or something putting you down all the time annd making you feel worthless, hopeless or inferior? That was my problem, and I also felt incredibly stressed, as if i couldn't see any way out or solution.

If it continues please go and talk to your doctor,they wont shut you up in a psychiatric unit! I put off going for ages thinking i would tackle it myself, snap out of it etc but it isn't as easy as that. Good luck!x

Answer 5

You're going to have to become a liar to do that. And it still won't work because once the weight starts dropping they will and can do something about it. I do the same thing. When I am running low on food or stressed out and I lie about it but I drop weight so fast it's obvious. The best thing you can do is tell your Dad that yes you are aware that can be a problem but that you want to try to fix it yourself first without hospitals. I was 17 then and my doc "unofficailly suggested" smoking pot to increase my appetite. i am not telling you to do drugs. But I can tell you it used to take me hours to eat 1 oe 2 crackers from those crackers with peanut butter packs. I also took diet pills when I did eat in front of my parents. If you ever really want to talk about this with someone who won't judge you can count on me. I've been there and still go thru it from time to time. When I moved out from home my Mother called every 2 to 3 days to remind me to eat and every time she asked the only thing I could really remember eating was either french fries or a candy bar. judaleighb

Answer 6

Oh dear, please try not to hide this!!! first of all this happens because of the dis functioning of digestive enzymes or probably due to stress your physical activities and thereby your digestive system has become abnormal. The best thing you can try as a preliminary aid is make sure that you drink at least a litre of water as soon as you wake up in the morning. Soak up some dry grapes in water while you go to bed and gulp this as soon as you wake up the next morning. if this doesn't work in a week's time Please get bk to me..I'll give you alternative tips.

Try to meditate for at least ten min. a day. You will see drastic changes in your appetite. If you wish to manage stress be ready to face serious/dreaded disease later in life..ranging from varied BP, Diabetes...to cancer..This is no joke dear..

If you wish you can find a way!!! where there's a will undoubtedly there is a way..Take care dear

Answer 7

Yikes. It sounds like you are looking for control in the midst of chaios. Yes, whether you eat or not, is something you can control completely, but here is how it goes- No food = death. No it won't happen right away. First, your hair will start falling out, and you will lose your menstrual periods. Slowly, your heart and all the other organs in your body will shut down. You will barely have enough energy to walk up the stairs. If you do make it up, your poor weakened heart will work overtime and you may go into cardiac arrest. If the heart attack does not kill you, other organs will start to go. You may very likely lose reproductive functions permanantly. Your bones will become so brittle they will break very easily.

Not eating is definitly something under your control, but your body will dole out the consequences slowly and painfully.

Please get help.

Answer 8

You feel better when you don't eat because you feel that you have some measure of control over your life--they can make you do a lot, but no one can make you eat. You said it yourself--"It's my choice so that's that."
This is another symptom of your troubled state, not the solution.
Please, please get some help. Your father is concerned about your health and well-being, and rightly so. Talk to someone, the Samaritans or whoever you feel you can trust.
You won't be "hospitalised over nothing"--if you continue to refuse to eat you will be hospitalised due to malnutrition and self-starvation.
Your life is worth so much more than you can imagine.
I'll be praying for you. I know I don't know who you are, but God does.

Answer 9

You may not think you have a problem now with eating but the longer you persist in not eating and the more you delude yourself that its conscientious choice your making, the likelier it is you WILL end up in hospital with more problems than you could ever imagine. Where did you get the idea that not eating is doing something right? You'll not hide it from your family, they are the ones who care about you.

Answer 10

Your dad needs to get out the phone book because you already have an eating disorder. Not eating is not doing something right and is definitely not a solution to eliminate stress.

Answer 11

I know that some people fast at times (Lent) and arent harmed by it but just dont go long periods of time with out eating. Your setting yourself up for disaster if you do. Your body needs nourishment through out the day to keep your internal organs functioning properly and if you go long periods without eating your body will want to store fat when you resume eating and it will get to be a vicious cycle with your weight going up and down which could be harmful to your health.