‘Diabulimia’ Signals Trouble in Type 1 Diabetes

[Northerner]

Sara was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at 11 years of age. She successfully managed the condition until age 15 years when, body conscious and worried that she was overweight, she discovered a secret after accidently skipping her insulin: She lost weight.

So began her struggle with "diabulimia," a downward spiral of binge eating; withholding insulin; and becoming increasingly ill, including being hospitalized several times. Normally an honest person, Sara learned how to beat the system to maintain the appearance of taking care of her diabetes by lying to her family and her endocrinologist about deliberately restricting her prescribed insulin.

By the time she came to our eating disorder treatment center, her A1c level was 14%. After several months of intensive treatment, during which she learned how to eat intuitively, unravel the eating disorder, and properly take care of her diabetes, her A1c is 7.2%, close to the goal of less than 7%.

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/857221

If you think you are affected by this, please contact the excellent people at DWED:

http://www.dwed.org.uk/

 

[Flower]

I am pleased there is recognition of diabulimia these days because when I had it in the early 1990's I was a type 1 diabetic with anorexia and bulimia and there was no joined up thinking or help. I know it is still difficult to get appropriate help for such a devastating combination but at least it is recognised and there are specialist clinics out there. I was lucky to get great help from an eating disorders clinic in London and I do owe my life to their help in getting me to eat small amounts and inject again in a regular pattern.

It is a really difficult thing to unravel and keep a lid on, even though I would never make choices like that with insulin and food again I still have to very occasionally battle the small gremlin in my head all these years later. The people at DWED provide fantastic information 🙂

 

[trophywench]

Never had it myself but can see how it can happen quite easily and have every sympathy for those afflicted - hence thought it was brill when DWED got off the ground and support them whenever I can.