Long term health damage..

[PSA148]

So one of my goals here is to compare what damage I have to the damage of others. So in this thread please feel free to post what short and/or long term damage anorexia has had on your body. To be honest I was only anorexic for 8 months, before i woke up and saw what exactly was happening, but I know for sure some damage was done. I just hope not to much and that it can be reversed..

[bumblebee]

i have very poor bone density and that worries me because i'm only 20. my periods are non-existant. brittle hair, dry skin, i could go on and on about the physical side effects, but tbh i think its the mental and emotional ones that affect me the most. i nearly had a panic attack before dinner tonight because the canteen menu was relatively unfamiliar. also the affect that this has had on my family and friends. that kills me.

[black_swan494]

physical:

my period stopped about 2,5 years ago
my hair falls out so much and is thin and brittle
i have constant pain in my spine while sitting or walking
i have dark cirlces under my eyes
i feel weak, dizzy and tired all the time
lanugo hair on my back and on my cheeks ( but i shave it in my face lol)
i'm constantly cold

mental:

my mind is f*cked up with the calorie content of nearly every typ of food in the world
i only can eat alone, nobody watching or hearing me chew
when i prepare food nobody is allowed in the kitchen
i'm depressed a lot
i have nearly no emotion left
i'm very moody and bitchy ( but i've maybe been that before lol)

and the lists go on and on and on

[bittergreen]

I've had a variety of eating disorders for nearly 12 years now -- anorexia (which did the most damage to my body), bulimia, binge eating disorder and EDNOS. Here's what it's done to me so far:

-severe osteoporosis
-heart arrhythmias (even when my electrolytes are normal)
-joint deterioration
-all sorts of digestive problems (basically I have IBS now)
-hiatal hernia
-anemia (though I'm alright at the moment)
-loss of my period for about six years (and it's somewhat irregular now)
-shitty immune system (leading to things like pneumonia, increased allergies and asthma, frequent colds, etc.)
-chipped teeth with massively eroded enamel (and I've lost several teeth because they rotted all the way through -- even when I was brushing 2-3 times a day)
-receding gums
-poor circulation
-hair loss (though that's mostly been reversed... for now)
-hemorrhoids from laxative abuse (not at the moment, though)
-loss of concentration

...there are probably some other things I'm forgetting as well. :\

Also, it's hard to say what psychological symptoms are due to my ED and which ones are independent of it; I also have depression, mild to moderate OCD, borderline personality disorder and some problems with anxiety and panic.

[PSA148]

I have a pretty odd story.. about a year ago i got sick and i remember all sorts of things happening... waking up with severe back pain, cold hands and feet... i was cold all the time.. my hair was icky... canker sores like crazy.. even my blood work showed my white blood cells and liver counts were up... i remember seeing myself and saying im getting to skinny so i ate like mad after this all started.. i lost 8 pounds over night,,, i had no idea i was anorexic... in body not in mind.. until a month ago when my friend pointed out to me and i started researching.. for a year now ive been eating way more then i was back then.. but i still have times of depression and low times in my life where i go for days with little or no food.. an i think this has not only had a negative effect on my recovery but has also added/continued the damage... sucks this thread didnt catch on.. i hope people saying what anorexia has done to them in the long run will show others starting down this path that it is not a road you want to travel...but anyway thanks for all the input so far.. it is greatly appreciated..

[thrash-unreal]

Physically? My teeth are practically ruined because of purging. I have to have 5 teeth removed next week because they are rotted through, despite the fact that I brush my teeth twice a day and floss. I get cavities super easily because my enamel is worn. I have poor circulation. I'm anemic. I have all kinds of digestive issues. I guess I got lucky that I haven't done a lot more damage to myself.....yet, at least.

Mentally, though, it's destroyed every bit of normalcy about food, my body, weight. I know the calories of everything. I never, ever eat a meal without feeling guilty or dirty. Digestion disgusts me. I'm depressed a lot, I feel numb like I'm checked out all the time. Like I'm watching a movie of my life, but never really THERE. Like another poster said though, it's hard to differentiate between mental symptoms caused by ED or those that have nothing to do with it, or perhaps existed before it.

[TheColorJulia]

I'm not even underweight and my kidneys are messed up..
I've been seeing a nephrologist for the past four months because of constant lower back pains, constant bladder infections, blood in my urine...
I'm also anemic..
I have body temurs. It's like I'm shivering, but I'm not cold.. And no matter how hard I try to stop, I can't.
I am constantly tired. 12 hours of sleep? Exhausted still.
I crave salt. Idk if this has anything to do with my ED, but yea..
I also have low blood pressure and heart arrhythmias.
I have panic attacks. A lot. It feels like Im dying.. And I cry and cry and even if I'm not sad or scared anymore, I can't stop.

[redspottedpurple]

after 3 years of fluctuating between bmi 13 and 31, i'm a physical wreck.
- my immune system seems to be non-existent. i'm sick all the time. i also get weird rashes (shingles or whatever). mostly around my eyes these days. not pretty.
- i'm really sure that my heart is not ok. it's constantly stumbling.
- my hair looks horrible. i've lost lots of it. and what's left is dry and brittle and just not pretty. same goes for my teeth. well i haven't lost whole teeth but they've gotten brittle and i have to be careful not to chew anything too hard or else they break.
- i have dark dark circles under my eyes, no matter how long i sleep.
- i've lost lots of my muscle mass. walking stairs or even just getting up is a pain.
- i used to be anemic. don't know if that's still the case. i haven't seen a doctor in ages.
- i'm weak all the time. and dizzy. bad circulation i guess.
- lanugo hair. again: not pretty.
- etc. etc. etc.

[uroboros]

Ive only been underweight around bmi 18 for about 3-6 Months before i got into mia. So i have never gotten to the stage of ana. But even right now, after i have semi-recovered i still have long term health dmg.

My body temperature is around 35-36 even tho im a healthy weight now.
My heartbeat is on the low side.
Hair is terrible, thin and i have lost a lot aswell.
Obsessive with food.
I feel ashamed buying food.
I also feel tired always, unless im taking drugs.

[cookiemonster123]

When your anorexic none of the long term damages really matter... I am most scared about my heart, but it doesn't worry me enough to eat properly. Hair loss, terrible skin, weak limbs and so on. But like everyone else said emotional damage is greater. I can't socialise on fear that someone would start eating, offer me food that I might not be able to say no to, I don't talk to anyone at school for fear they comment on how I look or look at me in a strange way. I constantly check my body in the mirror, I can't leave the house without looking at least twice. I can't have a relationship because I fear if I kiss someone I am consuming some calories of their last meal which drives me insane. I am brought to tears if I can't exercise during the week, I can't sleep unless I have done a gruelling amount of squats. I wear baggy clothing and scarfs to hide my body so I appear to be ugly and disgusting to passers by on the streets because when they stare or look at me I feel fat. I get cold quickly. I can't sleep on my side in bed anymore because I get pins and needles down my body and then my arm goes completely numb. I can't finish a meal ever for fear that I will have a full stomach. When I go shopping I feel like I don't deserve new clothes and nice things that make my body appear nicer to others when I find it disgusting. So yeah....it sucks