I can't get over how much meanness there is on so many social media platforms, and I'm sorry to hear, Kaye, that you experienced that on reddit, too. There's so little of that here on mdt that I feel freer to speak my heart and mind here than anywhere else including offline opportunities.

I've had periods of binge eating. I'm frantic and practically unconscious when it occurs. The act wipes out awareness of everything inside and outside of you but itself. Sometimes I come to afterward, like out of a stupor, and can't believe how much I've consumed.

I've discovered a couple of tricks though to outsmart it. Keep lots of celery and carrots in the house, as well as low- cal snacks: popcorn is a staple here. Make lots of healthy snacks, like peanut butter, agave syrup, rolled oats, and cinnamon. I don't gain weight or feel guilty when I binge on these.

You're not alone, Kaye. We're all battling something. As my friend Fluffy says, it's ok not to be ok. 🤗

I'm sorry you had to deal with it that long. I'm glad your better now. It's a horrible disease to live with.

I was bulimic and anorexic for 11 years, most of my childhood and young adulthood. For some unknown reason, my parents were taking me to my psychiatrist. It was an hour and a half away, and I had time to think. I realized how much an eating disorder had taken away from my life. Again, for whatever reason, I never threw up or starve myself again.

Hi, sweetie! I don't know the specifics of eating disorders but if I had one, I would seek professional help. That said, shame is a horrible emotion. It is something we do to ourselves when we judge our behavior harshly or compare ourselves to others. The point is, we do it to ourselves, so it is up to us to correct that thinking. An eating disorder must be like any other mental health issue, I am guessing. It is a behavior we develop in order to cope with some kind of pain. I think almost everyone goes through periods of time feeling like they are defined by their weight. I certainly have. I am definitely overweight by whatever standards the medical profession chooses to use, but I exercise and feel mostly healthy. I try to avoid sugar, alcohol, and excess carbohydrates but I have never been able to stick strictly to a prescribed diet. I treat myself on occasion. I make sure I eat plenty of salad, fruits and vegetables. I eat fish and chicken for protein and yogurt for prebiotic. But mostly what I want to say is that thinking about your weight can become a compulsion. This is not good. If I were you, I think I would try to find other things to do or think about to occupy my time. Make other things more important, things that make you happy. You know there are lots of overweight people who are smart, kind, active and also seem very happy. When you like someone, you relate to their personality and other attributes. You practically don't pay attention to how they look. It isn't what makes them your friend. We all have this identity we base certain things on, but an identity is made up. It is subjective. It changes. I no longer weigh myself much. I want to be comfortable in my clothes, but since I have stopped defining myself as fat, I don't think about it as much. So many other things are more important in my quest to be content in my life. Please don't use your weight to feel bad about yourself. Concentrate on your positive qualities and build confidence. It isn't easy but it is important to care for ourselves with love.