The horrors of recovery

Posted on by yazzeus

Food has always consumed me.
When I’m eating, I’m thinking about not eating.
When I’m not eating, I’m thinking about eating.

Now that my body has to deal with it, my life is growing a little more difficult.

Recent health implications scared me into trying to gain weight, and over the past three weeks it has been fluctuating; moving from 38kgs to 42kgs, and now back to 39kgs. I relapse again and again at the very start of this journey because the consequences of getting better are too grave. The simple fact that the digit on the scale changed from a small 3 to an enormous 4 terrified me.

On days when I feel heavier, whether I ate or starved, I lay on my bed lamenting my situation and wondering why I fail to succeed, sinking deeper into this hole of toxicity. Why can’t I overcome my concerns like everyone else? Is being healthy even worth the sacrifice? Maybe it’s not so bad to end up at a hospital bed one day. But then, I remember a photo Mia Findlay shared on her YouTube channel What Mia Did Next of a 19-year-old woman who died at 43kg after her stomach ripped following a binge. She suffered from anorexia and bulimia for five years. You can find the photo and more information regarding the case in the post: “Bulimia Kills …Warning! Graphic Pictures.”

It is a battle between the incentives I have to stop losing weight and the overwhelmingly triggering recovery symptoms. My weight is bound by both my need to survive and my need to feel empty and small.

Forcing your stomach to work after depriving yourself of food has several implications. It’s equivalent to using an old rusty machine without cleaning and oiling it. Your body does not trust you. It’s still preparing for another period of starvation. Your organs need time to catch up after deteriorating for so long.

Thus, being in recovery means you are bloated, constipated, dehydrated and yet still retaining water. Recovery is night sweats, drowsiness, an inability to focus, and a generous dose of sadness. I’ve never really cared for the latter; it is what constitutes being underweight too if you switch night sweats with extreme cold. However, the digestive issues mean heaviness and discomfort – the type that makes me start counting the hours I’ve gone without food.

It’s difficult to eat when you’re facing the likes of gastroparesis and edema. Having gone through it before, I know it’s temporary, and eventually, my weight will go back to normal, but cooping with these symptoms and accepting them as part of recovery is the hardest part.

I never intended to watch my body decompose but here I am again.

 

Love,  Alyazya

30 thoughts on “The horrors of recovery”

  1. It sounds as though you understand where you are at and what the road ahead looks like. Sounds like hard work…each step worth being proud of.

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  2. I won’t pretend to understand what this battle looks like for you. I’ve known and heard of the struggles of weight, anorexia, drug addictions, alcohol addictions, and what I’ve learned is the road to recovery is often difficult with many setbacks. But, I also know and have heard that if you practice succeeding ONE DAY AT A TIME, it builds up your resistance to turn back until you reach victory. It can be likened to what every new Believer in Christ may experience as they learn to put their trust in an invisible God after years of operating with dependence on the flesh. One blogger, https://beautybeyondbones.com/ may offer some helpful encouragement and I hope you’ll reach out to others who have been where you are, and can help encourage you till you get to the other side. I’ll be praying for your victory as you overcome! With Love, Ms. Wanda

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  4. i hear you. eating “normally” is hell. learning to live with a recovery body is hell. it’s hard at every moment and you spend all your time arguing with yourself. it’s fatiguing. i’m glad you are doing this for yourself. i’m glad you’re sharing the journey. blessings.

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  11. 😭”moving from 38kgs to 42kgs” both those numbers are less than my (healthy, “normal”) 10 year old son weighs. But you must know it already. For a mom like myself it is hard to hear; I want to hold you in my arms and cry. And yet I get it, since I often wanted to be thinner, like many women. The society we create and consume around us sometimes seems to want us to disappear.

    Your poetry and writings are beautiful. Thank you for “liking” mine, which enabled me to find you.

    Have you read “Love Warrior” by Glennon Doyle? She struggled with bulimia and other addictions. Highly recommend her book. Also there is this, free online, which although is written by the founders of AA, eighty years ago (so the language is a bit male-centric and Christian based), the writing itself is beautiful and aware as well, and I believe the spiritual guidance contained within it can be used to heal any addiction and aid in any recovery. I have used it in my journey to recover from crippling perfectionism.
    That’s why I am able to post this terribly imperfect comment.

    With love, and with deep appreciation for your awareness, generosity and courage, xoxo n

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    1. Sorry forgot the link, here it is. ❤️https://www.aa.org/pages/en_US/alcoholics-anonymous (swap your recovery of choice for “alcohol” when reading) xoxo

      Liked by 1 person

    2. Hello Nadine,

      Thank you for passing by. You’re very sweet. Well, I liked yours because it is both relatable and sends a message of encouragement.

      I haven’t read it but I’ll add it to my (excessively long) list. Hopefully, I’ll read it when I feel ready for such content. Thank you for the recommendation.

      Your comment is perfectly sweet ^.^

      Liked by 1 person

  12. Oh, Hon, my heart just breaks reading this. I look at your photo and think “So young and beautiful!” But I know it doesn’t matter how others view you, but rather, how you view yourself. Our harshest critic, the one when listen to the most, is ourselves.
    I beat myself up emotionally, too. I’ve never suffered from anorexia or bulimia, but my clinical depression prevents me from wanting to eat properly, and my weight suffers as a result of it. I literally can’t gain weight and want to. Most people see my 5’1 frame and weight of 102 lbs as a perk. I see a 56 year old woman wearing a size 2 as ‘failing to fit into my skin’. I am just now learning how to accept myself as the unique, beautiful person that God created. This has never come naturally for me. And that is the key to healing whatever it is that has control over us: to start loving ourselves completely and unconditionally. Perhaps when I’ve succeeded the depression will subside and my appetite will return. Perhaps when you do, you will no longer read the numbers and let them define you. This is my prayer. God bless!

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    1. Hey,

      Thank you for sharing your story. It’s very intresting to read your point of view.

      More poeple seem to be concerned with how they look, whether is it too small or too big. It seems like we’ll never be good enough for ourselves. This glorification of an ‘ideal’ body type is toxic, whether it’s a curvy or skinny one.

      Like

  15. Hi, I think you know perfection is an unattainable myth, but one that is promulgated relentlessly. More than that, imperfection is where real beauty is found because it reflects the different strengths that each of us possesses. This is what makes us intriguing and valuable to each other. We can all manage and attain imperfection! I hope these thoughts help you to discover and value the ‘you’ that I value in the way you write. Thanks for catching my attention.

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  16. Ignorance and naïveté are killers when it comes to any kind of syndrome ndrome. You are neither of those, mybdear. But understanding your issues,,,the old “it’s not what you’re eating, it’s what’s eating you” premise is ok, but harsly deep enough,

    For me, it was all about control. As a teen, I unwittingly involved In my parents very bitter divorce and due to the stress, it was hard to keep food down, Then I started loosing weight and after sonmichit literally started falling off, I put two and two together . After a while of losing weight I realized I could have my cake and heave it too. Easiest “diet” ever. And it worked great…for a while, ,,then I got bored with the whole process and my body revolted, it got greedy and vomiting became a caloric tug of war. I was lucky.

    I’m quite overweight now and my body is so screwed up,that I lose very, very slowly.

    I hate the centuries long emphasis on looks, the fat shaming and that damned body dysmorphia, society is so screwed. . But good luck to you, Sweetie. The road to recovery is long and hard. But you can do it. Just reverse the effort mentally. Use the same energy thstveebtbinyonomityingbgood,mintonkeeping food. Easier said than done, but a start.

    Bulimia is insidious, but oddly enough, not a malady for dummies.

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    1. Thank you, Laurie, for sharing your story with me. It means a lot! I find it intresting how yours got triggered. You could say mine started around the same way (with the influence of the media of course). It was during a transformative period of my life. I felt like I lost control over evrything and I desperately needed to control something.

      Yes, it is a difficult road filled with a lot of relapses but so far I keep picking myself up. My body is damaged too; I survive on medicine but I’m looking forward to a healthier future. I hope your body heals too.

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  20. Hello, I cannot say I like the post because you share your suffering, but I do appreciate how you wrote it, and hope that by this time you are feeling better 😊

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  21. I don’t know how you feel and i can’t imagine it either. I’ve been reading through your blog and I can tell that your insides are beautiful and that is all that matters. So take care of yourself, people care about you.♡

    Liked by 1 person

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