No Magic Cure.

I'm tired.

I'm about to write about a taboo topic.

Eating disorders and pregnancy. 

Go.

A lot of people seem to think that if you suffer from an eating disorder it magically fades into the background when you get pregnant. Maybe that's true for some people?? If it is, I wish I were that lucky. 

It doesn't disappear. It does, in fact, get louder.

I'm not saying that I am over here using behaviors. What I am saying is that the fight has been constant and exhausting since I found out about this new baby. There are so many (SO MANY!!) misconceptions about eating disorders. The majority of the population who do not battle with one can't even begin to understand what it is like. 

Let me enlighten you.

When I found out I was pregnant, I was shocked. Not too far behind that followed elation. Of COURSE I want to be a mom to 3 kids! I love being a mom. I love the snuggles and the hugs and the good days and the bad. I love the constant challenges and the insane problem solving that comes with trying to help to shape what starts as a tiny blob on a screen into a happy, functional adult.

I LOVE IT.

What I DON'T love is the barrage of disordered thoughts that come along with pregnancy symptoms. Hormones go crazy, hunger increases (as does nausea for those of us lucky bastards who suffer from "morning" (aka ALL DAY LONG) sickness.) and clothing sizes go up. None of these things are avoidable. All of these can trigger ED thoughts. 

So now you have all of these things making you feel mentally and physically worn out. Add to that the shame of having ED urges in the first place. 

What kind of sicko would still feel temptation from their ED when they are supposed to be growing another human being in their belly??

The disorder doesn't just go away. What actually happens is the level of guilt increases exponentially. More triggers, more urges, more of all of the negative aspects of the ED continue to attack. 

So, it's extremely tiring. And depressing.

I wish I could just enjoy being pregnant without having to worry about the monster that attacks my brain and seems hell-bent on grinding my soul to dust.

I'm not going to let it win. 

So I keep fighting. I keep screaming back at the voice in my head trying to get me to do awful, disgraceful things.

The urges may still be there, but that doesn't mean I have to follow through on them.

Go away, you fool. You're not welcome here.

I'll never give up.

   -  B