I had bulimia as a teenager. I have been recovered from that for awhile but it has ravaged my teeth and the shame of it always comes up at my too frequent dental visits. Surprisingly no dentist has ever directly asked me if I suffered from an eating disorder, they just wondered out loud how I could possibly have so many dental issues at my young age.
For the past few decades I have always to some degree had issues with my eating. Until recently, I pretty much always wanted to lose weight, was on some restrictive diet, exercised to achieve some weight significantly lower than I was at or had trouble dealing with my life if I gained a few pounds. It stems from physical, emotional and sexual abuse as a child and a mother that constantly called me fat and big boned even though I was always thin as a child (she was on the bigger side, go figure). I also grew up in poverty so I was deprived as a child and I think I constantly want to be filled up or have some yummy food to eat so even if I eat an amazing meal, it is not enough to blot out the deprivation of childhood.
I think eating disorders are much more common than we think but the shame surrounding them makes it hidden. I didn't know anyone with an eating disorder until I joined a womens group for trauma survivors.
