eating disorder

LegacyUser

regular poster but going unregged for this. i've suffered on and off from Bulimia for the last 4-5 years but have been doing really well for the last year and a half-two years. I'm about to do my finals in college but the stress is getting too much and i'm finding myself tempted into my old ways.
My boyfriend is really supportive and I know he'd hit the roof if he knew i was feeling this way, but it's just so hard to get the willpower to stay on the straight and narrow. I don't know what to do.

AnonoBoy

all-too-much wrote: »

My boyfriend is really supportive and I know he'd hit the roof if he knew i was feeling this way, but it's just so hard to get the willpower to stay on the straight and narrow. I don't know what to do.

Ok for a start - if your boyfriend is really supportive then he will not 'hit the roof' if you tell him you're feeling weak. If you need to talk to him and you are close enough to him then I would suggest that you do. Talking always helps in these situations.

Good luck OP.

Macha

Hi all-too-much,

I think the fact that you've identified your source of stress is great. Worrying about being found out by your boyfriend or others is probably adding to your stress as well.

The most important thing is to realise that while bulimia may be a coping mechanism for you, in reality it isn't going to help you at all: either with your exams, your weight and especially not your health. There are other coping mechanisms out there that won't jeopardise your health, such as:

As a person prone to bulimia, I'm guessing you're a bit of a perfectionist so let me tell you that no employers look at what grade you got in your finals, just the degree title! What is it you're hoping to do after college?

All 3rd level educational institutes have a counselling service and it's no surprise that exam time is when they're at their busiest - you're not alone! You could contact them to make an appointment. Talking things through really helps

Best of luck.

Rev Hellfire

taconnol wrote: »

so let me tell you that no employers look at what grade you got in your finals, just the degree title!

That statement is quite obviously false. If I see a raw college graduate the first thing I'll want to know is what grade of degree they got and if I don't see it I'll ask since I assume they're hiding it for a reason. Grades only become less important through experience which you will not have.

As for advise, see a doctor its a medical condition and as such you should seek professional help, not wiki fuelled titbits from punters on an interweb forum.

Macha

Sorry I worked in a recruitment agency for 3 years and the grade that the person got in their final exams was not of great significance. Moreover, recuiters are aware that in most cases the final mark given is only that of the final year and does not take into consideration the previous 2/3/4/5 years.

As a past sufferer of bulimia, I am not just a 'punter': I know exactly what I'm talking about.

Edit: OP, I forgot to put in this link:

http://www.imperialcollegehealthcentre.co.uk/eperfect.php

I found the whole site pretty handy when I did my finals.

http://www.imperialcollegehealthcentre.co.uk/exam.htm

Rev Hellfire

Well lets put it like this, once they've got past you and are sitting in front of me and I see they've no experience and are just graduated the first thing I'll want to know how they did. This will have a huge bearing on how they progress.

You may know 'what you're talking about' in relation to yourself and how you where treated, but you remain a punter simply a slightly more educated one.
I for example suffered from a autoimmune disorder it doesn't mean I can now hand out advise on it.

Macha

Rev Hellfire wrote: »

Well lets put it like this, once they've got past you and are sitting in front of me and I see they've no experience and are just graduated the first thing I'll want to know how they did. This will have a huge bearing on how they progress.

There are many other factors that may take precedence, depending on what path she is considering. Hence the question regarding what career she wants to do after her finals.

Rev Hellfire wrote: »

You may know 'what you're talking about' in relation to yourself and how you where treated, but you remain a punter simply a slightly more educated one.
I for example suffered from a autoimmune disorder it doesn't mean I can now hand out advise on it.

I don't claim to be an expert but the use of group therapy with mental illnesses demonstrates the use that sufferers benefit from speaking to people who have similar experiences. I myself found it very helpful when I was going through the worst of it.

That reminds me. OP, you've probably already heard of them but have a look here: http://bodywhys.ie/

Really, try and find someone close to you that you can speak to. If not your boyfriend, then a friend, parent, sibling?

LegacyUser

hi all, thanks for the replies-some useful, some not so.

The exams are fairly important, it will get me into a course i want to do next year. Rev Hellfire-i actually have tons of experience in the field i'm studying, not to mention a kickass CV if i do say so myself. Hearing you imply that if i feck up my exams i'm doomed to never get a good job is really not helping me feel better.

But thanks for the advice, think i will sit the OH down and have a chat with him. He didn't know me back when it was at its worst, but when i told him he was very understanding about it.

Macha

Good luck with it and let us know how you get on