Mirror, Mirror..

[Joyfulgirl5]

When i look in the mirror, i see changes and i can see results..but they say that anorexics constantly see themselves as fatter than they really are.

i want to know from someone who has been longer with their ED, and if this is true?

and im sure that it's not only with ana's but with mia's??

Im just curious

[silver_elf]

I'm not sure but my thought is, you see changes but it's never good enough. Like, you say "wow, you can tell I lost weight, but I still have fat here, and here, and here...." And when they are emaciated, they still manage to find problem areas that they NEED to get rid of, even though they are aware (but they don't think about it) of their "progress."

Does that help?

[kallista93]

What silver elf said is about right for me. I look in the mirror, and I see ribs and clavicle, but then I look at my legs, and my eyes just zero in on the flaws. To short, too flabby, etc. I am sane enough to feel I look alright in clothes, but there are always flaws.

Also, I feel like a lot of the diagnostic criteria for EDs aren't quite right, and the psychiatric communities dismal record of recovery is a good indication that I'm on to something. I think every case is different, and that some people may exhibit anorectic behavior that don't really have anything mentally wrong with them, they just perhaps have a goal that isn't healthy. I think for some an ED is an addiction, for some it stems from depression or OCD. For others their brain chemistry has changed due to starvation, which is also similar to an addiction. Every case is different, so there is no effective treatment, therefore I don't think there can be any effective diagnostic criteria, either. Does that make any sense?

So basically, your as normal as any of us are. I hope one day your goal will be enough for you, and you will be sane enough to maintain when you reach that goal. I'm trying to reach that wisdom myself, but of course I'm convinced it's at least 10 pounds away.

[Starving-Beauty]

what they said is basically right i look in the mirror and i see changes in myself but then i think if i lose another 5lbs i will look even better!i will stabnd infrotn of the mirror for ages pinching my stomach and all the natural fat that is there (wich every women has) i think eww that has to go.and i restrict really well for a while then of course it all ends up in a binge and once i stand on the scale and see i have gained even the tiniest amount i sit on the ground and cry for hours.and when i have pigged out in a day i refuse to go outside because i just think people will be looking at how fat i am.xx

[Joyfulgirl5]

thanks guys, that does help.

there was this one video of this girl that was one of the most anorexic/ bulimic, and she was pulling at her SKIN on her stomach and saing that there was still fat to be lost, while she her whole body was just bones.

but like you guys said, every person's ED is different.

[oblivion]

the lower the numbers on the scale, the fatter i feel, the lower the numbers on the scale the bigger i look in the mirror, when i'm eating every day i see every ounce going on my body:(

[rissa323]

I can never see it. I feel my clothes getting looser but still see a fat girl. At my lowest weight I still saw a huge person in the mirror- until one day I was in a mall and caught a glimpse of someone in one of those wall mirrors. The girl was absolutely emaciated and I remember thinking, "wow, she's going to die." I looked around for her and then came to the chilling realization that the reflection in the mirror belonged to me. That was my wake-up call from anorexia round one... it's kind of terrifying how we have no idea what we really look like! The mind/body disconnection is huge.

[reclaimingkatie]

This is my fear...that I wont know when to stop...
I want to lose weight to finally feel beautiful but have always been the fat girl and have no idea what being thin will look like...
I am afraid I will always see that fat girl...
I lost a big chunk of weight recently and everyone is noticing and at first I kinda noticed and kept staring in the mirror and smiling but now I see myself getting fatter in the mirror...!!!! (Even though my roomates keep saying they can tell I'm still losing and my face is thinning out...)
I am so scared that even when I get to my goal weights that I am doomed to see me as forever ugly ; (