Schizophrenia and Eating disorders

Morpheus · 29-06-2012, 08:30 PM

Does anyone else suffer from both schizophrenia and an eating disorder? if so, how do you cope? My eating disorder is very much linked to my schizophrenia, the voices telling me not to eat, telling me i am fat, dont deserve food, saying i should starve myself to death etc. and also me thinking people are trying to poison me through food among other things. i honestly dont know which came first but i was diagnosed with anorexia long before i was diagnosed with schizophrenia (i have only recently been diagnosed but have struggled for many years) right now i dont fit the criteria for anorexia because i have gained a lot of weight on antipsychotics but i still struggle a lot with food and i do not consider myself recovered.

anyway, i am really looking for personal experiences and how to cope with both these illnesses. right now i am being treated for paranoid schizophrenia but not at all for my eating disorder (which is playing up a great deal right now) though i believe you cant really separate them from each other.. i guess they just think the psychosis etc. is more urgent atm than my ED.

Also, does anyone know if its common to have eating disorders along with schizophrenia?

thanks

talaiporia · 30-06-2012, 02:53 PM

I don't, but I'm sorry to hear you're struggling right now.
I wondered whether you felt able to talk to the people you're seeing about the eating disorder, so they knew it was still a prominent issue, despite the weight gain.

tamobhuuta · 30-06-2012, 05:41 PM

i found that finding the right treatment for the schizophrenia meant my issues around food (years ago was EDNOS but with time, improved and became less important because, similar to you, the psychosis got more urgent) improved too.

Ballerina123 · 30-06-2012, 07:18 PM

When I was in the eating disorder unit there was a girl there who had an ED and was schizophrenic.

I have bipolar not schizophrenia. I do suffer psychosis as part of my bipolar though and so to an extent I can understand your struggles. Fighting ED behaviours caused by psychosis is difficult to do. I hhave not worked out any tricks yet but hope I will in time.

I'm sorry you are struggling so much xxx

Morpheus · 02-07-2012, 02:47 PM

Thank you for the replies :)

I have tried talking to my team about the eating disorder and they are aware how much the weight gain is troubling me but they just say that when i get better i will get well enough to lose weight which isn't really my concern. i know i can lose weight but i am afraid it will trigger my anorexia again. i dont know how to lose weight healthily and all they say is eat healthy and exercise. it really isnt much help.

I know my psychosis is more urgent and i can understand that by treating that, my eating disorder might get better. but right now it is so distressing to have to cope with both my ED as well as the positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia.

I think i just kinda needed some reassurance that it can get better. i dunno.. some positive stories or something.

Ballerina123 · 02-07-2012, 05:57 PM

Could your team refer you for specialist eating disorder treatment? Challenging the thoughts may lessen the psychosis a bit.

Also don't try to loose the weight. Literally just eat well and normally. Of you do that your weight will eventually get to where it needs to be naturally. Dieting will not help your psychosis or your ED.
Maybe ask if you can be referred to a dietian so you can learn what a normal diet is.

You could also pm if you want and I can give you an example of the normal maintanance diet I was given in ed ip.