DieOrBeatThis

“DieOrBeatThis” is a play off of “diabetes” and reflects the ultimate choice that it comes down to for those who have an eating disorder, especially combined with diabetes. The Mission of DieOrBeatThis is to bring awareness to the extremely dangerous and prevalent, yet overlooked, dual diagnosis of diabetes and eating disorders, in particular diabulimia, an eating disorder exclusive to type 1 diabetics. We hope to help enable individuals to chose - and be able to - “beat this,” implying overcoming their ED and living a happy, healthy, and full life with T1D! http://www.dieorbeatthis.org

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Eradicating Stigma Associated with Eating Disorders/Type 1 Diabetes [PART 2]

Tomorrow is the last day of National Eating Disorder Awareness Week in Canada, and we are continuing to spread awareness as much as possible.  Getting more and more people educated is one of the best ways to do so.  Continuing from our last post about the stigmas surrounding eating disorders and/or type 1 diabetes, here are some more key points for people to understand when it comes to this topic!

1. Recovery is a not a linear path

The unfortunate reality is that recovery often is a bumpy road, with slip ups and even relapses along the way.  Eating disorder behaviours become so engrained that even the strongest will to recover cannot always be enough to counter the eating disorder's malicious old ways.  It is important to remember not to get discouraged, as this is all part of the process. Allow yourself to learn from each time you slip-up and just try to get back on the recovery bandwagon as soon as possible.  

If you are a loved one of someone in recovery, one of the most harmful things you can say to someone who is struggling with a relapse is anything along the lines of: "Oh, but you were doing so well! How could you do this?"  This will only serve to make the person feel ashamed and discouraged, and these negative emotions can just make matters worse.  It is important that you show that you still believe in them and their ability to recover.  Acknowledge the slip-up but don't dwell on it or make them feel guilty.  Rather, focus on ways to move forward.  Ask, "How can I help you get back on track?"

2. Not everyone with an eating disorder is underweight, female, or young!

If someone admits to having an eating disorder, believe them.  It is SO incredibly damaging to disregard their struggles just because they don't fit the type eating disorder stereotype (i.e. female, emaciated, young).  Never make comments such as "Oh, you don't LOOK like you have an eating disorder" of "Oh, aren't you too old for that?" Eating disorders affect people of ALL shapes and sizes, genders, and age groups.

Many people with an eating disorder think they are "not sick enough" just because they are not severely underweight - and because of this they do not seek treatment, believing they don't deserve it.  This is simply not true. The severity of an eating disorder is not determined by the level of weight loss and it is important to know that even those with a healthy BMI can die from their eating disorder. Thinking that you must be emaciated in order to "truly" have an eating disorder is extremely dangerous.

Anyone and everyone with an eating disorder deserves help.

3. Omitting insulin is a form of an eating disorder in those with Type 1 Diabetes

Many people, including doctors, do not understand that omitting insulin for the purpose of weight IS an eating disorder and they simply write off the behaviour as non-compliance.

It is important to understand that a person engaging in the behaviour is by no means "stupid"; most are aware of the dangers yet feel powerless to stop. Omitting insulin can become a compulsion, an addiction, just like any other eating disorder symptoms such as restricting, exercising, bingeing and/or purging.  Saying that someone must be "stupid" to engage in these behaviours is showing a complete lack of understanding towards the complexity of eating disorders.

It is important that those who omit their insulin to control their weight understand that they need to seek treatment just as with any other eating disorder.

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Eradicating Stigma Associated with Eating Disorders/Type 1 Diabetes

It is National Eating Disorder Awareness Week in Canada (DieOrBeatThis Founder, Emilee Wilson's home country).  By raising awareness and increasing people's knowledge and understanding of eating disorders, we can work to eradicate the damaging stigma that exists.  There is quite a bit of ignorance when it comes to eating disorders, and this is doubled when it comes to those with diabetes as well.  Here are a few things people need to know:

1. Eating disorders are not a choice!

They are psychological disorders which often develop as coping strategies (albeit maladaptive).  The behaviours become compulsive; driven by impulsive, not unlike an addiction.  No one with an eating disorder is stupid - and they certainly should never be called that!  Those who are struggling with eating disorders often are aware of the dangerous path they are on, but feel helpless to stop/change.  Even when the choice to pursue recovery is made, the eating disorder often persists for some time.  This is why recovery is not as simple as telling someone to "just eat!" or "just don't throw up!"  There is so much more to it that than.

2. Type 1 Diabetes is NOT caused by poor diet/inactivity!

It is an autoimmune disease whereby the body's immune system mistakenly attacks the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas, to the point that insulin production ceases altogether.  This is of no fault whatsoever to anyone with diabetes and it cannot be cured through diet or exercise.

3. People with eating disorders are not vain!

Though many of those struggling with an eating disorder are obsessive about their weight - and therefore their appearance - this is a manifestation of much deeper psychological issues.  Eating disorders are about so much more than weight.  This is why those with anorexia, for example, continue to strive for weight loss even when they are emaciated.

[to be continued...]

[dieorbeatthis]

COPING WITH THE HOLIDAYS

It's that time of year, and Christmas is fast approaching - only 5 days away!  It is a time of joy and excitement, but for people with eating disorders it can also be an extremely stressful time.  The emphasis on celebrating with food (Christmas dinner, cookie exchanges, potluck lunches...), not to mention the sheer volume of food - particularly sweets - can be distressing and triggering.  The key is to avoiding engaging in symptoms is to BE PREPARED as much as possible. Below are a set of useful strategies to help keep safe over the holidays and keep ED out of the picture!  

Predict High Stress Times and Places

Plan which events you will attend and how you will feel.  Consider avoiding the event all together or planning to leave early to avoid high-stress times and triggers.  You may be afraid of disappointing or upsetting others but you must tell yourself that it is important you take care of your own well-being. It is better to keep yourself safe than to please others and put yourself in a potentially damaging situation. 

Plan How You Will Handle the Food

Be specific and plan, plan, plan.  Consider what foods will be available and plan roughly how much you will eat - especially if it is just "free-for-all."  It is crucial to nourish yourself throughout the day in order to eliminate the physiological desire to binge.  Avoid categorizing foods into good/bad and counting calories. Allow yourself "treats" and "extras" - it's socially and psychologically healthy to allow yourself a little indulgence at this time of year.  Giving yourself permission takes the power away from the food.

Be Prepared to Be Full

Acknowledge that you will likely experience feelings of fullness and/or discomfort, and that is okay.  It will not last forever and it does not mean you are fat.  Distract yourself with other activities and notice in time that the feeling passes and you did not need to purge.

Anticipate How People Will Act and What They Will Say

It is highly likely when you are around people that you may be made to feel uncomfortable.  If you feel comfortable, kindly request that no comments be made related to your weight, appearance, or eating habits.  If not, plan ways to desensitize yourself with coping statements (i.e. "I am within my rights to say no" if avoiding a food you might be tempted to purge) so that you are unfazed by potentially triggering or upsetting comments. Thank the person for their concern and request that the conversation be left alone.  Plan and practice your verbal - and mental - responses. Remind yourself that you are doing what is best for yourself and their opinion is just that; it is not fact!  

Predict Negative Thoughts That May Arise

Whether based on a comment made or arising from yourself, you must brace yourself for negative thoughts that may arise.  Think about how you could challenge those thoughts and even write down alternative positive thoughts. 

Avoid Comparison

Comparison only creates a hotbed for ED to thrive.  Avoid comparing yourself to others, whether it be their appearance or the gifts they give - or anything! You are your own individual and you are doing the best you can given your current situation.  

We hope that implementing these strategies over the holidays will help you stay safe and sound!  Don't hesitate to reach out and contact us if need someone to talk to.

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Just because we have diabetes doesn't mean we can't have any type of food. There is a lot of stigma about foods that diabetics cannot eat and it is just simply not true. Encouraging these ill-informed notions only serves to develop unhealthy relationships with food for those with Type 1 diabetes. Let's raise some awareness. DIABETES MEANS I CAN EAT WHATEVER I FEEL LIKE. AS LONG AS I TAKE MY INSULIN. Spread the word.

[dieorbeatthis]

Diabetes is #1

In the hustle and bustle of daily life, it can be tempting to want to ignore diabetes.  Who has time for carb counting or treating lows when you have a million things to get through in the day?  It may seem easier to simply grab food without checking and/or doing insulin but this behaviour slows us down much more than taking a few minutes to manage diabetes does.  Many other things in life may seem more important to get to in the moment than diabetes, but prioritizing diabetes management actually allows you to function a whole lot more efficiently throughout the day so you accomplish a whole lot more.  When our blood sugars are off, automatically we are robbed of our full cognitive and physical capacities.  This is especially so when we omit insulin and let our sugars run high. Not only do high blood sugars zap us of our energy, but subconsciously (or even consciously at times when we are really feeling unwell) our minds and bodies know something is wrong and we cannot be fully engaged in the present moment.  As a result, diabetes actually steals our focus.  Pushing diabetes aside is not effective; it will only seem like more of a burden.  Taking the time to manage your diabetes makes room for you to live your life to its fullest!

[designerdiabetes]

[dieorbeatthis]

Could not be more true.  EVERYONE's life is worth it.  You are all beautiful souls <3  I know it can be hard sometimes, but keep fighting.  

[dieorbeatthis]

Being Afraid of "Letting People Down" Because of Your ED

Your eating disorder is slowly killing you, inside and out.  That's the cold, hard truth of the matter.  

And yet, you continually hide.  You keep your thoughts and behaviours to yourself, wrapped up in lies and secrecy because you are afraid of your loved ones knowing the truth.  You may be trying to protect them from worry and pain.  Especially if you are in recovery, you may be afraid of letting them down because they thought you were doing so well (and you may very well receive this comment should they find out).

But (God forbid) if something bad were to happen, everyone would feel they weren't good enough for you to even consider letting them know what's going on and taking help from them. Your family and friends might think you'd rather be in misery than ask them for support.  In this regard, you are letting people down right now.  By faking being okay, lying and hiding, pretending things will get better on their own, and not trusting in others for the support you need in recovery you will ultimately disappoint your loved ones more than the truth will.  

Not to mention all the lies, secrecy, and hiding wreck havoc on your emotional well-being and ability to promote positive self-changes.  You will be stuck in a rut of misery, and your eating disorder will be unlikely to cease.

The truth will set you free!

[dieorbeatthis]

Sweet Recovery

The most important lesson I have learned is that accepting something and taking responsibility for is are two different choices.  For years, I was an expert at acceptance - I accepted I would get sick often, that I would get side effects from diabetes, that eating and guilt go hand in hand.  I accepted ignorance and lack of communication, I accepted the role of the victim, and I accepted that others' opinions were always right or better than my own.

The trouble with acceptance is it infers passivity, when actually what is required is action. Any problem has the potential to turn our lives around becuase it creates desire, a gap, or loss that we may choose to fill or not to fill.  Inevitably, it is not how we feel but how we deal with situations that is important.

For too long I let a disease and its side effects speak for me.  Because I believed I deserved the consquences of my shameful behavior, it was hard to see diabetes as more than just my fate in life. 

Thankfully, my entire persepctive changed.  This change did not come about from people always telling me I should take care of myself; it did not stem from feelings of guilt; it did not come because life decided I had suffered enough. I decided I had suffered enough.  I gave up my role as the passive victim and became self-motivated.

For me, recovery has been sweet.  I am changing the label of Diabetic: Always Sick, Always Something Wrong to Diabetic: Healthy, Always Getting Better.  I am continually finding out new things about my body.  I am learning to listen to my intuition.  I believe in working with my body so it can perform at its best. 

Loving myself and living as healthfully as I can are worth the effort for the have given me the gifts of joy and freedom. Don't make today your worst of times by ignoring your disease.  Work with your body for a higher quality of life.  Good luck - I'm pulling for you!

- excerpt from Sweet Recovery by Denise Bradley

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What is Normal Eating? Some "Food" for Thought!

Normal eating includes the ingestion of healthy foods, the intake of a mixed and balanced diet that contains enough nutrients and calories to meet the body’sneeds, and a positive attitude about food (no labelling of foods as “good” or “bad,” “healthy” or “fattening,” which can lead to feelings of guilt and anxiety). Normal eating is related not only to health maintenance, but also to acceptable social behavior, and is both flexible and pleasurable. A definition of normal eating to relate to is that it is “...flexible and varies in response to your hunger, your schedule, your proximity to food, and your feelings.” It is important to understand that normal eating fluctuates; however, it should not fluctuate to the point of leading to a nutrient deficiency or excess or to weight loss or gain. Thoughts about desired foods and meal planning should be part of your daily life, but should not dominate it (i.e., should not take a disproportionate amount of thought compared to other daily activities).

- RF Pereira, MS, RD

[fyoured]

Recovery Survival Kit.

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Insulin Does Not Make You Fat!!

There is a common misconception that insulin leads to weight gain, and that it is therefore "bad." 

The media portrays insulin in negative light, promoting reducing your insulin levels for health and weight loss. Unfortunately this does not paint the whole picture!  Consistently eating more than your daily caloric requirement and/or exercising too little will lead to a subsequent increase in insulin dosages due to the extra food and decrease in insulin sensitivity from inactivity.  This may lead to weight gain but this is in response to such lifestyle behaviours NOT the insulin itself.  

Those of you who omit insulin may have developed an intense fear of insulin and believe that every time you inject you will put on pounds. This is not the case!!  There may be an initial weight influx when you first readminister insulin after a prolonged period of omission because your body will cling onto all the fluid, electrolytes, and salt that it possibly can in fear that it will be forced into a period of deprivation again. This goes away fairly quickly as long as you continue to do your insulin.  You will NOT continue to "balloon up" (if at all).

Insulin itself does not lead to weight gain; it is the lifestyle and behaviours that may be accompanied by an increase in insulin requirements beyond what is necessary for the body to thrive that lead to weight gain.  Those without diabetes are constantly producing insulin and they are not overweight because of it.  Insulin is necessary not only for survival but to enjoy life. Your body will thank you for having blood sugars in a healthy range.  Your thoughts will be clear enough to make balanced food choices, you will have the energy to sustain physical activity, and you will all around feel better!  Weight loss/maintenance can therefore be achieved in a healthy manner with insulin.

Insulin is not the enemy!

http://www.dieorbeatthis.org/learning-to-love-insulin/

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You Are More Beautiful Than You Think

This is a MUST-SEE video: http://realbeautysketches.dove.ca/

It just goes to show that you can never trust your own perception/opinion of your appearance.  Trust others when they say you are beautiful! They are not lying.

[17und]

[dieorbeatthis]

This is so true. Let's focus on HEALTH and HAPPINESS not weight; if you are feeling good by getting adequate nutrition and keeping blood sugars in check, your radiance will shine through and the number on the scale won't matter.  You cannot be yourself and truly be happy when you are preoccupied with self-destructive pursuits of unhealthy - and unrealistic - standards. You health is more important than anything, as without it, you will not have the energy to even feel happy. Take care of yourself; you are worth it.

[whatdiabetesshouldcallme]

Giving yourself a ton of insulin for a high and your blood sugar doesn't budge at all

[dieorbeatthis]

This can be so frustrating! Especially in recovery from diabulimia, where there is a fear of insulin. It may seem overwhelming to have to give more insulin, but do not be triggered to continue to omit your insulin and let your sugars run high.  Yes, it is challenging to lower them, but this is due to an effect called glucose toxicity, a temporary reduction in insulin sensitivity that occurs due to the down-regulation of the glucose-transport system because of prolonged hyperglycemia. This will go away if you keep doing your insulin.

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DieOrBeatThis - Type 1 Diabetes and Eating Disorders

DieOrBeatThis is a new non-profit organization to provide resources, support, and information for the complex, and dangerous, combination of diabetes and eating disorders!  If you are suffering from this dual diagnosis, we encourage you to check out our website at www.dieorbeatthis.org. If you are struggling, we hope to help you choose recovery and succeed in it!

Together, we can BEAT eating disorders and life happy and healthy lives with Type 1 diabetes, unrestricted by our illness and free of unhealthy behaviours/attitudes towards food, insulin, and weight!