Act your age! I think my body needs to take this advice. I've been diagnosed with common illnesses, only they are atypical for the age I was diagnosed. At age 20 I was diagnosed with osteoporosis. Thanks to having an eating disorder since the age of 15, I had the bones of a woman more than three times my age. I was devastated when my doctor explained this meant no more snowmobile racing or galloping on my horse. Being 20, I didn't really listen. I continued to drink loads of diet soda, smoke my occasional cigar, diet and purge. It took me a few years to finally cut back on my unhealthy behaviors (for my bones and my whole health). Luckily, being young, I still have a chance to build my bones back up. Seven years from my diagnosis date, the bone density in my hips is almost normal and my back is getting there. I sometimes wonder if I could see the damage to my bones on the outside, if it would have changed anything.
Now, at the age of 27, I am being treated for ADD. I started taking Adderall to treat my inability to concentrate. This is something usually treated in childhood or adolescence. It finally took being very behind with paperwork at my job and my supervisor's recommendations to seek help. It's still boggling to me. All through school I received B's or higher; I don't recall struggling in school. The only thing I remember is my mom didn't allow the T.V. to be on in the mornings because it would steal my attention away from getting ready for school. College is when I really started noticing my struggles. It took me much longer than my classmates to type out a paper. I would sit at a computer for hours, screening through several fleeting thoughts to catch ones that were relevant to my assignment. This was especially noticeable in graduate school. Despite my struggles, I graduated with honors (not meaning to brag). I guess since I worked through my attention problems, I shrugged them off as being related to depression, anxiety and/or stress. Now those are handled for the most part. ADD finally interfered with my life enough for me to seek treatment. I've tried Adderall for a few days now. It's like my brain's reception is clearer. I can track my thoughts. I feel partially relieved that maybe my struggles with concentration are biochemical and not my own "fault." However, I'm slightly angry that I didn't seek treatment sooner. Maybe less of my college experience would have been sitting in front of a computer.(Maybe sitting in front of my computer kept me out of trouble.) I'm eager to see if medical treatment of will make a significant difference over a longer period of time. We'll see...
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Hi Miss Understood,
Thank you for sharing your story with us. Your story will certainly help others struggling with attention deficit disorder (ADD) and with eating disorders. I found this website that lists several ailments that are associated with eating disorders which are listed here http://www.something-fishy.org/dangers/dangers.php.
How did you overcome your eating disorder? Did you seek treatment?
March 14, 2010 - 10:25amThis Comment
Ooops, I took an accidental hiatus from this site! Thanks for offering a resource. I did seek treatment and at times it sought me. My first step was seeking counseling from the counseling center at the university I was attending. I was referred to a nutritionist and a doctor. I was very blessed to have a doctor who was on the ball and detected my osteoporosis. For a long while I had weekly appointments with my counselor, nutritionist and M.D. I cannot say I overcame my eating disorder. It still sneaks it's way into my life. My symptoms wax and wane depending on my stress levels and depression. It's still a process. Again, thanks for your comment!
October 26, 2010 - 12:35pmHi Miss Understood I read your story and thought that it is so wonderful that you are finally taking control of your conditions that you have. It must of been so hard for you at the start though. But you don't need to worry about that now. Have you heard of brain train? you can purchase CD ROM, Nintendo DS at the shops where they sell electrical goods, I even have it on my phone, it is suppose to help broaden the mind it has been very successful with dementia patients it has help their memory by 50% and or even more. The more you train your brain the broader the mind becomes in thinking much clearer than before. I have trouble with my memory due to hit and run accident when I was 9 and also due to Chronic illness with Ulcerative Colitis in 2004 and again in 2005 - 2006. It affected my white blood cells very badly, it depleted the white blood cells to almost none. There was a little bit there and it needed to be replaced promptly. And when it was being replaced it burned like hell it was like fire, but it had to be done. by for now.
September 19, 2010 - 6:46amI had sympathy pains while reading your comment. Brain train? It sounds like fun! I will have to try it. Thanks for your comment. Sorry it took me so long to reply, but I do appreciate it.
October 26, 2010 - 12:37pm