This page will be added to as the blog progresses, and will be any questions that you - the readers - have about anything related to the topics discussed on this blog. All questions raised by my readers found on this page will be anonymous - no names will be used whatsoever.

​

If you have a question that you would like answered and kept personal, head on over to my Contact Me section of the blog and I will happily converse with you that way.

​

1. Eating disorders are just for attention

Speaking for the majority of us - if we wanted attention I think we would rather run naked through the local school or mall than by destroying our relationship with food, exercise, and our body; putting immense strain on the heart and other vital organs, resulting in a massive changes in the way in which we can participate in life.

The fear of my heart giving out while I sleep.

Collapsing whilst walking up stairs.

Eating 'x' food.

All of this are ONLY for the Instagram and Facebook 'likes' and resulting chats.

This myth just enforces the stigma behind mental illnesses just like eating disorders. We are not crying out for attention - these are serious psychological conditions and, if not taken seriously, can result in severe limits on participation in life and can often result in death.

So please, do not think we want our illnesses, or are using them for attention and to our advantage. We are trying our best.

​

2. Being weight restored means eating disorder free

Remember people – weight is only a consequence of an eating disorder, it is not THE disorder. Weight restoration is often the first thing that comes in eating disorder recovery, the mental side of things takes a while longer to kick in and is hard work. So, while we may look alright, we can still be very disordered inside.

​

3. When we say, "I'm okay", we mean it

I think we all fall victim to saying this when asked how we are going. For us, it is a way of protecting those around us from knowing how we are really feeling - we don't want people to worry about us. For you, the askers of the question, it may be the easiest answer to hear, but we know that it is often not the case. If you really want to know how we are, ask again, look at our body language, our facial expressions, and actions - they can give better indicators of how we are going than our answer to a question can.

​

4. Are Eating Disorder Inpatient wards only for those severely underweight?

Of all the inpatient admissions I have had, never was my weight considered to be "underweight" on the BMI scale. I was eating all my meals and snacks, 3 and 3 each day, without a fail - but still needed inpatient admissions to properly address my eating, mood, and anxiety disorders. These facilities are for anyone in the service who is struggling to reach their goals in the outpatient environment and requires some extra support in order to reach them. You may not be underweight, you may be a "healthy" weight - this does not dictate or validate whether or not you are "worthy" enough to be on a mental health ward. Everyone has a different journey and need different things.

​

5. Do depressed people have the "look" about them?

The cheeky thing about depression, or any mental illness in fact, is that people can be pretty good at masking things. We can appear to be fairly high functioning - participating in school, work, extra-curriculars, family and friend events - but remember, depression is not always being a bed burrito (which is totally fine by the way!). It is more about the feelings and thoughts inside, not the physical characteristics you see. Never assume that because someone is looking and acting okay, that they are okay. 

​

6. Do online calculators give an accurate amount of the energy needed for your body?

How in the world could anyone ever base the types and quantities of food they eat based upon a few numbers chucked into a random website that spits out a random number. I’m sorry internet bot – do you somehow have the exact information on how my body works and utilises food? Goodness no! We need to try and tune back into our body and the signals it is sending us and stop relying upon the internet or silly numbers to dictate our lives.

​

Rawing Meg

xx