Hi! I am new to the forum, diagnosed Type 1 just about a month ago. I have struggled with an eating disorder (restriction and binge/purge) for about 17 years now. After routine blood work, my MD drew a 7.0 A1C and then a 7.5 a month later. Concerned, she referred me to an Endo who brushed off Type 2 (based on other factors) but did testing to be sure. My tests came back with low c-peptides and high antibodies confirming Type 1. I have made some great progress in my eating disorder recovery but am terrified at the thought of being completely insulin dependent while having an eating disorder (I am currently still producing some insulin and am very lucky the disease was caught early on for me).
Hi @Jodie4, I hope you don’t mind, I have moved your post into a separate topic so it will be seen by more members.
Eating disorders are not unusual in the diabetic community and is a subject discussed here before. Try doing a search for the term “Eating Disorders” there are a large number of discussions from the past.
Thank you! I do not mind at all. What worries me the most is I have had an eating disorder for so long and before my diagnoses of T1D. Im so worried about managing the diabetes with the complication of an eating disorder.
I think that the best place for you to get information, support, and help is through We Are Diabetes, an organization dedicated to helping people who have eating disorders in addition to Type 1 diabetes.
I know it sucks having other stuff to go along with this. I am in recovery from alcoholism and I survived psychiatry.
I had controlled drinking (what they claim is impossible) all figured out, only drink every few weeks and don’t tell anyone !!
Now with this Type one I can’t drink the way I liked to, all out till I was done, usually the equivalent of 12 drinks or a 375ml vodka. Grey Goose of course.
I switched to wine and last time had 5 drinks got a nice buzz followed by low blood sugar and all that crap. Alcohol causes hypos. Kind of takes the fun and stress relief out of it therefor removing the whole point of doing it.
It sucks. Can’t escape that way anymore.
Been to enough treatment before recovery to know eating disorders and alcohol dependence has commonality. They are coping mechanisms.
I am almost a year into type 1 and the terror of the first month is over. Poking the needle no big deal and the diabetes hasn’t gotten worse and the gym still works I am strong and healthy as anyone else thought the first month that was over but its not.
I made the mistake of reading to much online in the beginning and getting all gloom and doom and bugging out.
I’m glad your here in our forum, @IgotT1. My best friend had bipolar 1 and was the absolute best diabetes advocate that I ever had in my life. I am a diabetic epileptic. I think its super helpful to compare and contrast different illnesses. Gives a better, big picture understanding.
I am coming up on 3 years sober so I can understand that! I was 7 years sober, relapsed and now have 3 years and definitely plan to never go back. Congrats on recovery of alcoholism. How far into your journey of sobriety are you? Funny how we can rationalize certain things, isn’t it?
I love going to the gym. I do hot yoga, cardio and love strength training. I am scared about seeing how this is impacted by T1D.
Its been a year since I came out of the last relapse and got diagnosed diabetes at the same time. Before that I was a good boy and stayed sober 97% of the time from 2011-2017.
Before 2011 I was a total disaster. I do AA, I go at least 3 times a week.
Now for the good part, they gym and strength training works better now after my diagnosis. Maybe the insulin helps build streanth or maybe its me being more consistent but I made good gains this year even with the diet restrictions. I guess what I call restrictions others would call healthier.
I was scared shitless when the doctor came over and said type one diabetes in the hospital. Check your blood and do these needles… WTF !!! I blamed loosing my fitness on the relapse and now this guy tells me its type one diabetes and all I could think was F that’s it no more gym or strength just be old and weak. I went way down that rabbit hole.
We can do fitness as well as anyone else. Thank God cause its really what keeps me sane.
And I found its not as difficult as I thought it would be when I first started exploring all the pages on exercise and diabetes. Its really not that much of a “balancing act” like they describe.
Before the gym today my sugar was 71, big deal, so I ate a banana and went to the gym a few hours ago for an hour and haven’t checked since.
