is it an eating disorder?

I'm 17 yrs old and I weigh 142 lbs. Because of my final exams a month ago, I've refused most of the food and I lost 20 pounds by the time. Now the finals are over, but I cannot force myself to eat regularly and I'm still loosing weight. When I feel too full or eat more than I think I should I vomit, cause I feel ugly and fat. my daily energy intake is cca 400 kcal and I still feel that I eat too much... may this be the start of an eating disorder?

[Zoelula]

My guess is, Nickie, that you are posting here because you already suspect you are suffering from an eating disorder and want help. It sounds like this has only begun for you fairly recently and that is good because the less time you suffer from an eating disorder the easier it is to benefit from treatment. You have taken a good first step by posting here, and I encourage you to reach out for help in real life. You can talk to your doctor and ask him for a referral to a therapist with experience with eating disorders or just look in the phonebook. I also recommend attending some meetings of OA, you can find it in the phonebook under overeater's anonymous; don't let the name throw you it is for people with all kinds of eating disorders. There you will meet others you can relate to and in large cities there are even special young people's meetings. Eating disorders, unfortunately get worse with time, not better, so I think it's a great thing you are reaching out for help now!
By the way, I have 16 years recovery from an eating disorder I suffered with for many many years, and I am grateful for my recovery every day!

[Zoelula]

My guess is, Nickie, that you are posting here because you already suspect you are suffering from an eating disorder and want help. It sounds like this has only begun for you fairly recently and that is good because the less time you suffer from an eating disorder the easier it is to benefit from treatment. You have taken a good first step by posting here, and I encourage you to reach out for help in real life. You can talk to your doctor and ask him for a referral to a therapist with experience with eating disorders or just look in the phonebook. I also recommend attending some meetings of OA, you can find it in the phonebook under overeater's anonymous; don't let the name throw you it is for people with all kinds of eating disorders. There you will meet others you can relate to and in large cities there are even special young people's meetings. Eating disorders, unfortunately get worse with time, not better, so I think it's a great thing you are reaching out for help now!
By the way, I have 16 years recovery from an eating disorder I suffered with for many many years, and I am grateful for my recovery every day!

[Rach878]

Hey Nikki...to me this sounds like the start of an eating disorder.It's good that your posting here, because it shows that you want help, and since its so early in the disorder its the best time to get help. The longer your eating is disorder, the more difficutl it is to break habbitsy . You also need to be aware of the health consequences from what your doing.
I recommend that you tell someone, even if it's just a school counsler. Someone who will be able to help you and will be a postive support.

[Soggymoggy]

Hi Nickie,

This certainly sounds like the start of an eating disorder; it may have been triggered by the stress of your exams, but remember that you're also at a time of huge change in your life, and feeling a loss of control is often one of the key triggers for eating disorders.

You're right to be concerned, and I think you need to tell both your doctor and your family.  Your doctor will be able to help, and the support of your family will help you tremendously in conquering this illness - which you absolutely can do.  Don't be scared to tell them; of course they'll be worried, but they'd rather know and they'll respect you for recognising the problem and dealing with it.  And you'll probably find that having someone to help you deal with it reduces stress, which may in itself be helpful.

Best of luck, and keep us posted. xx