Monday 11 June 2012

Reality bites

Bulimia didn't listen to me yesterday but then she never listens.
She appeared at regular intervals through out the day and night.
It stops today.
I have no binge food in the house so hopefully bulimia will give up and take the day off.
I have strong urges to restrict. This wedding looms heavily over me and the pressure to look good consumes me. The pressure comes from me, nobody else. People just want me to be healthy.
I wish I wanted me to be healthy.
Also meeting my treatment friends in weeks is on my mind.
I've been given the label of anorexic and I feel pressure to live up to that label if that makes sense.
I just don't know who I am without anorexia. I don't know what would be left if it was taken away.
Me I guess.
Or a big eating disordered shaped hole.
I'm afraid to find  out.

I saw my doctor first thing this morning. I was dreading this appointment as Mary had told him about my abusing my meds. I sat nervously in the waiting room waiting for my name to be called anticipating the lecture that would follow. Eventually my name was called and I reluctantly followed him  into the treatment room.
He said nothing and just gave me look as if to say 'Ruby, Ruby, Ruby'.
He then pulled out a drug test and sent me to the bathroom. He hasn't tested me in the longest time but I understood why he did today. I returned to the room and even though I knew the test would be clean I still get anxious waiting for the result. I have to be honest here and say that I only admitted to abusing my anxiety meds and not the methadone even though I was. He was actually nice and gentle with me and asked me why I was doing this. I explained that the eating disorder was really getting me down and I was using it as an escape and to get a break from all the food related shit. He was understanding and said that because I was engaging in therapy, it was bringing a lot of issues to the surface so it made sense I wanted to escape. I hadn't thought of it like this and appreciated his insight. He is a big softie really.
I had been getting one weeks supply of meds at a time and he changed this to getting 3 days at a time.
This does and doesn't help. It will help me to spread out my meds but I still have 3 days supply and that is tempting to take them all at once. But where will that get me. It's so easy to slip into denial.
I can trick myself into thinking that because they're prescribed it's ok and I'm not using but that's denial talking. It is using. If I'm abusing them and using them to escape and it's affecting my life in a negative way, then it's definitely using. They are still drugs, prescribed or not.
I took them properly today and am determined to get this under control. I know it will lead me back to illegal drugs and that's the last thing I want. I never want to go back to that hell.
So I guess this a positive result even though it doesn't feel that way just yet. I am trying to build up the courage to go back to my support group. I just know it will help me so much but I keep putting it off.
It's hard to walk in there and admit that I fucked up. I suppose it's a pride thing.
People often ask me which is harder, dealing with a drug addiction or an eating disorder.
I think they are both equally hard but different. I was able to completely walk away from my drug life.
Away from the town, the drugs, the people and the lifestyle. I started fresh in a new town where nobody knew me. With food it's different. I can't cut food out of my life, I have to learn to deal with it in a healthy way. I find though that the behaviours are quite similar, the addiction, the denial and the lying.
Same shit different substance.

So I start this week afresh, attempting to get my addictions under control.
I'm blessed to have a supportive family, an understanding doctor and a great therapist.
Maybe with their help I can do this.
There is talk of spending christmas with my sister in Australia this year. I could spend 3 months there.
That is a huge motivation and gives me something to look forward to. It's such a great opportunity.
Here's hoping.

I'm also blessed to have met some amazing people through this blog and I appreciate every reader and comment. Thank you to you for being there and listening to my daily rants.
Gosh this post is getting very emotional so I'm going to go before we all start crying.

Much love xxx

7 comments:

  1. Hello :) I hope you are well, The fact that you dont want to abuse your meds is a good thing on its own. It shows how determined you are to stay clean and become less dependent on any drugs. Escapism is something I too have suffered greatly from, and the need to get away from pain is over powering some how. But I know we can do it, we can overcome our addictions and demons. I have every faith in you, yo have come through so much already and you are an inspiration to us all.

    Wow, 3 months in Australia - that sounds amazing! It is something to look forward to and try to work towards. I know 3 days is still alot and temptation to abuse, but try to get through those 3 days day by day. Walk your dogs, anything, if it gets you away from the temptation. You are doing well and I know you can do this.

    Much Love xx

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  2. “I don't know what would be left if it was taken away.”
    Precisely! the crucial question! Answer: a ruby with a lot of potential, who has only just begun… to live. As you might have guessed i am currently more on the recovery side, have been for quite a while. I even find my healthy BMI of 18.5 now fully acceptable. Furthermore i think that once you hit your 20s, this gaunt anorexic look often does not do ones face many favors (it is reversible, than god). The trouble is that the distorted self image is a prerequisite for this condition anyway, and the lack of nutrition keeps your brain from working properly… you need to get healthy to be and see the beauty you already own.
    It’s a vicious circle and it is very hard. But I strongly believe you can do it. Always remember what you have achieved already, I know I keep repeating myself but it is true. And again, you see others, you care for others despite the binging, the methadone, the shoplifting you still care! And this is what separates you from so many; this is what makes you the beautiful person you are! ED is so boring, it’s a pattern, a circle, a game one cannot win. You are so clever & pretty; please do not let malnutrition get the best of you!
    xxxxx

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  3. pls don't think i am such a smart a... it was very hard for me to get where i am and still I am very happy that my doctors think i am healthy at BMI 18.5 and do not want me to be fat or anything...

    xxx

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  4. Thank you for the kind advice on my blog chick x Reading through your blog is helping me and I am glad I am not the only one struggling with bulimia x

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  5. 'People just want me to be healthy. I wish I wanted me to be healthy.' Argh! Totally relate to this. I'm going through the whole 'why am I hanging on to this disorder, everyone wants the old Agnes back, no one likes this new, moody, crazy impulsive Agnes, not even me! So why am I carrying on.' I suppose I'm just afraid of change.

    I agree food problems are hard to tackle. We all need to eat, it's not like you can give up food (not that I don't try =p, with ED it's more abstaining from behaviours I think...)

    And yey to taking your meds properly. I hope you can keep it up =)

    xxx

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  6. As you scoop the ED out of your insides, put in things that you like. Expert nail-doer, runner, crocheter, singer, jewellery maker, scrapbooker, dog groomer, skydiver, whatever the hell you want.

    Yup, using any drugs to escape is using, doesn't matter whether they're prescribed or not. Just because my Mum's "only" addicted to dope doesn't mean she's not a druggie. Why the hell do degrees of illegality make some things look less serious than they are??

    I'm facing the same questions you are regarding ED and health, but with depression etc. Who the hell am I without this mental illness? I haven't a fucking clue. I know I don't like the person I am now, so why am I so scared of finding out who I am without it? Maybe we're scared of still not-liking ourselves after getting rid of the concrete reasons to do so?

    "Same shit different substance." OMFG YES. THIS.

    What part of Oz are your family in? Australia isn't too farm from NZ, only 10 hours or so across the Tasman. Hmmmm, I do have a lot of holiday hours to use up :p

    Take care and be awesome <3

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  7. Wow your doc is nice. I believe him when he said he understands. You know some people say that and totally don't mean it. At least you don't have to deal with picking up meds everyday.

    I know you are getting better but not as fast as some people may think you should. If they don't read your blog then they have no clue or just put you in the categories with the other ed patients.

    Keep it up, even if you slip up once in a while you are admitting and that is good. You are doing well. You are just taking baby steps.

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Thank you for leaving some love x