Longtime followers of my blog may know that I struggle with compulsive overeating. I had the following conversation with Rock Star Mommy back in August, and I thought I’d post it here in case it might help anyone was Googling. Also, I normally hate the term “COE” because it feels like a cop out. If you’re going to admit you have a problem, own it. I tend to use it in IM though because it’s a heck of a lot faster to type.
me: can I ask you a personal question?
RSM: yeah, shoot 🙂
me: as someone who has recovered from anorexia, does it offend you when people refer to compulsive overeating as an “eating disorder”?
RSM: No, not at all. It’s 100% an eating disorder
RSM: I was in hospitals a few times for it, eating disorder units, and there were always compulsive overeaters with us
RSM: Men, too
RSM: The stereotypes of eating disorders are just flat out wrong
me: wow. I had no idea
RSM: And I always felt bad for the overeaters rather than the others, actually, because they felt SO judged, ya know?
me: I mean, there are easily as many men in OA with me as women, I just meant the hospital part
me: yeah, I do know…
RSM: and this one time in group therapy, I was complaining about how everyone calls me “crazy” for my disorder
me: and this one woman says, “Yeah, well, at least they don’t call you crazy AND fat”
me: I just always felt weird referring to it as an eating disorder because it doesn’t seem as drastic or serious as the others, but really, in the long term it is, but when you learn about them in school, they don’t mention COE
RSM: Oh, I think it’s just as drastic and serious – it’s just in an entirely different direction
RSM: it’s just a way of handling your issues and life, etc, through food.
RSM: it’s just that some people choose to do it through starving, some do it through over eating
RSM: I really see it as being identical underneath
me: that’s a good perspective, thank you.
me: It’s a question I’ve been wanting to ask of someone for a while, but, well, you can’t just go up to anyone and ask that, you know?