"don't ask me to take the test and eat breakfast too." I haven't heard someone explain this so well, I've had an eating disorder for 7 years now and just very recently told two close friends about it and what I've found to be the hardest part to explain is sometimes I can't eat, I have things to do and if i eat it's all i will think about and it's just so incredibly overwhelming.
Me too 💔 I’ve been anorexic / bulimic for 15 years and yesterday I finally told my mom and dad and my best friend of 10 years 💔 and I wanna get help because now I’m dying 😞 and I was killing my self slowly
@@peekingintojocelynslife9987 How are you doing now? My 10 year old granddaughter told me she has not eaten in three days and she’s just not hungry. I was concerned so I looked it up on UA-cam. Please reach out if you need someone to talk to. I still believe it’s something Chemical. My son wrestled with anxiety and got on a serotonin inhibitor. It worked miracles.
@@peekingintojocelynslife9987 I hope you're doing better now. I only recently realized I'm anorexic. It's much more common in men than most realize. I rarely feel very hungry anymore, and I feel shame if I eat. What a terrible struggle. We can overcome, though...
It's important to know that even though one is diagnosed with a disorder, that the way in which it manifests can be very different from person to person. No two people ever experience a diagnosis in exactly the same way. There is no need to judge or be rude to others because their experience is different than another's. Instead of dividing ourselves through criticism and judgment, let's rally together to form some real solutions for those that suffer from any eating disorder!
I actually was moved to tears when she played the noise--the noise, the voices, the thoughts that a person with an eating disorder hears while they're eating (and all day). I can't believe I just actually heard with my ears what I've heard in my head for years. How powerful. I so appreciate her impeccable explanation of what it's like to have an eating disorder, so those who don't can understand, and so those who do can feel seen, heard and cared about.
I don't have an eating disorder, but I have an anxiety problem. When she did that noise thing with the tape recorder, I totally understood. When you're anxious sometimes all you hear all you hear are nasty comments. It makes you freak out (at least I freak out).
I can relate to this comment so much. I've had anorexia and I still have anxiety and depression and the noise between them is very similar and sometimes bleeds over into each other.
This woman has changed my life in so many ways. As her client, she has not only given me hope, but she has also instilled in me a passion to contribute my life to the research and treatment of eating disorders. I can only hope to make as much of an impact on individuals as Dr. Hill made on me. She gives relief to those suffering just by vocalizing what many of us have not been able to. Thanks, you all are beautiful :) keep fighting... there is hope.
This video was shown to my mom while I was at the Emily program and it created a whole new understanding of an eating disorder so that she could help me through this illness. I'm so thankful for this video
This was incredible. As a dad helping his daughter battle through this (with the help of a program and experts), it was great to get a better understanding of what she is going through.
I'm helping my daughter battle through Anorexia as well. It is brutal for me to see her go through these "episodes" of hers. I am as supportive as I can. It is harder now that she has relapsed.
This presentation was alright. It is always good to get more attentions to ED's and know that is is not about food. However, she made it sound as if the anorexic brain is chemically different than a "normal" person's. In my anorexia, I still got hunger cues, though i worked hard to suppress them. I still enjoyed food, though i hated to admit it. And as someone else on the thread said, my ind was never quiet. Even if not eating, i was still thinking about food- when i would eat, how many hours until i could eat, counting calories from the past day 10-20 times obsessively.
+Madeline Graf Mine was/is the exact same way. I kinda think there may be different "types" of anorexia in itself (type I, type II maybe?) I love food but I love the feeling of denying myself and the control more for sure.
"For some it's definitely a relationship with food that is very much like OCD. For some it's almost an underlying anxiety or depression. For some it's a way to gain control over an out of control life" I see those things as all pretty much the same thing. OCD is an anxiety disorder (and as I see it, so are EDs in general) If someone has an anxiety disorder, it is likely at some point or another they are going to be depressed from it. Anxiety disorders, anxiety is often caused by holding a certain belief and then facing a situation or something that is incongruent with that belief and then trying to get rid of the feeling it causes (anxiety, anger, embarrassment, etc) by then trying to cope, control and so on; these things can be considered compulsions. It might just be the belief that one shouldn't be feeling anxious, or do not want to and are trying to chase a certain feeling, or running from anxiety (and sadly/ ironically, causing it more). I also think that often times people with EDs go back and forth between "love/hate" of food. It just tends to depend on which side they feel more cognitively aligned with at the time. There's a reason so many "recovery" accounts online are just photos of food taken obsessively.... A lot of times it is that there is a sort of burn out I think, in being so anxious, that one "learns" in some ways, to just give up and not enjoy food. It is a response to anxiety. As I see it, a "let go of all desire and it won't hurt/ be painful, no anxiety over it. If you don't have the desire, it won't hurt anymore." but you also don't really get any pleasure out of it. It's being controlled by the ED, cognitively aligned and beaten down.
This woman has made me cry. I have suffered from anorexia for five years now, I've learnt to live with that second voice inside of me, but there are several days that eating feels like a war, and people just wouldn't understand. If only someone knew how much anxiety I felt (and I still feel) from "going out of my confort zone" with food, recovery would be way easier and no one would say "you just have to be more flexible, that's all". It's not that easy. (Sorry for my bad English)
This helped me to understand what my daughter is going through. When I would cook dinner and make her sit down with us I could see the agony on her face! It’s horrible and I just didn’t understand why. Thank you for this
I have had anorexia for 17 years this April, and I am 24. (I have never had a bmi over 18.5) This was the most accurate description of anorexia and the voices inside the head of many of those who suffer from actual anorexia. It was difficult to watch the first time she pressed the tape recorder and took me over a month to rewatch that part because of how seriously accurate that was. This is also a good video to show to those who do not have a clue about eating disorders and the mental damage that it causes. (including anorexia).
*fyi: everyone is different, even in their eating disorders. those with eating disorders have different roots of manifestations and different health problems and side effects.
not exactly... last time I checked it doesn't work that way half the time...some people do recover that way but mine is too deep rooted to just eat and be normal again. sorry.
Bailey Watt Since this is anonymous I will share with you Bailey. I applaud your professional and mature dealings with plutoplatters who is either a lousy troll, or an ignorant sheep. The brain is a complex and interesting "machine" to use pluto's words. Your machine doesn't view food as a source of joy the way most of our brains do. I find it fascinating that your brain sees food as what it actually is- fuel/medicine, and not what the rest of us lab rats see it as- reward/payment/therapy/etc. I find your mind's way of viewing food as advanced because you are not shackled by your tastes or desire to seek pleasure. My mind is unique as well. I dont feel empathy or guilt the way others do. My brain stores memories differently. There are many pros and some cons to the way my brain works, but you know, its as silly to think that if only I'd "feel more" I'd be less sociopathic, than it is for you to "eat food and make the anorexia go away." Its like telling a shark to eat more seaweed and he will become a vegetarian.
So true. I'm a recovering anorexic, and I can say I was hungry all.the.time. I loved food, was obsessed with it. I just stifled my normal biological responses. It's not really about food. Food and restriction are merely the symptoms.
I even dream about it. I wake up excited to eat whatever I dreamed. Usually a Snickers or a huge plate of spaghetti. Then, I realize it was a dream and I’m not eating those things. It sucks sooooo much.
I have viewed this several times. I am speaking for myself. This was exactly my thoughts when I was severely in anorexia. I wouldn’t eat until 4P at work because if I ate my mind would be completely lost in my anorexic thoughts about what the food would do to my body. I would watch others eat and get back to work and just couldn’t understand how they could eat and not think about the food they ate. Today I do get the thoughts although I have taught myself it is ok because for me food is my nutrition to live. Nothing more and nothing less.
This video struck a really deep nerve - so few people understand that it's NOT just about food. It's not just a matter of telling someone, "Oh, just eat a sandwich, just eat, that's all it takes." The ED can be a coping mechanism; it's not simply a matter of vanity and "a diet gone wrong". It's a mental disorder, plain and simple. If given the choice to deal with expected stress like a test or a trying day at work, or try to ~recover~ and add to the incessant noise that comes with eating? I'm not going to fucking eat in order to still have the ability to focus and function in my day-to-day life. Hill absolutely nails this perfectly.
+Bleed Peroxide I'm waiting for someone to come up with the same explanation and some strategies for the opposite problem--there's also no use in telling someone to stop eating as if their life depends on it unless you can prove that it does not. Some of us were indirectly, and no doubt unintentionally, given to understand that it does.
" I'm not going to fucking eat in order to still have the ability to focus and function in my day-to-day life." the issue with this is that long term, one with an ED has less likelihood in the long run to be able to maintain "normal" day to day life if they do not deal with the anxiety and eat, and learn to deal with it...that was the point.
+KrayolaBlue91 I'm unfortunately quite aware of that. But when you don't have the luxury to drop everything and devote all of your energy, time, and/or money into recovering, you have to patch the holes and deal with it. I don't have the luxury to dig through almost three decades' worth of bullshit to fix my ED or complicate my life with a recovery-centric lifestyle - so I manage with the tools I have. (I realize my tone may come off as hostile - please do not take it as such.
I can understand that; it sucks that in our "system" that, for some that is how it is. I just wanted to state the point in case others who do have access, that their eating disorder simply tries to use it as an excuse to not recover; as ED can try to use anything and everything.
Thank you, Dr. Hill, thank you for this very important talk. You gave the best insight I've ever heard into what actually goes on inside the head of an anorexic (or at least in a certain manifestation of anorexia)...as the mother of a severely anorexic daughter, it helped me to react with understanding and sympathy, rather than blank despair and confusion. Even though I was fully aware of anorexia being a mis-wiring problem of fear vs. food circuits in the brain, this made it much more real to me, so that I can deal with it more calmly.
Thank you Dr. Hill I'm a diagnosed bulimic, and I just shared this vidwith my daddy and my man. I want them to understand, that story of the father brought tears as it brings hope in my recovery. Lots of love.
I was so excited to find this talk. I am recovering from EDNOS & I'm also a psychology student. So many people misunderstand ED's & I was glad that she looked at it from a physical/biological standpoint. About her just choosing Anorexia, maybe that's the main illness she treats. Some people who treat ED's specialize in treating one type. Maybe she just had to focus on one disorder for time sake. Many treatment centers only work with female patients. Maybe that's why she said "she" so much, although I do agree that men & boys do have eating disorders. But sadly, many male cases are underreported/undertreated.
Thank you Dr. Laura Hill. I am a 50 year old with EDNOS A-typical Anorexia. I am struggling to explain what it's like to have to overcome something invisible. You brought the voices to life. I appreciate you bringing more awareness to the subject of Eating Disorders and hope that research continues to help the general public understand something they cannot see. Unlike a broken arm, it's hard to see an ED and have compassion for what goes on inside the head and the body when someone is starving to stay sane. Thank you for bringing that vision to life.
I thank Dr Hill... I've been struggling so much for the past year, and now I have hope and direction to what should I do to get functional again... the ending was so emotional. she's amazing. God bless her.
I cant explain how well you capture what i'm feeling right now ... i'm planning on showing this to my friends because they don't understand this and i think this will help
I love this video. I always thought I was crazy or something because that inner critic is something I struggle with every moment. My boyfriend and I watched it together and it gave both of us a new understanding of what i'm going through. Thank you Laura Hill!
Thank you! I have been bulimic for 13 years, and have finally, at age 30 decided to seek help. I truly believed that I had control over "my food issues" as I referred to it, never believing it is what it is, bulimia. I am 12 days sober, and tonight I had a pizza, the noise/voiced was there, but tonight they were only a soft whisper. I know I still have a long road to recovery, and some days the voices are as loud as a speeding train, but I know I will beat this. I have no choice, I want to live!
Thank you for this. My 9 year old son was recently diagnosed with anorexia and this was so helpful to watch. It added another link in my chain of hope to his recovery. I really and truly appreciated the explanation of what’s happening in my son’s head when it comes to meals. As heartbreaking as it is, it’s also an eye opener for how I can better communicate with him, and help him to turn down Ed( his eating disorder voice.) Thank you 🙏🏽❤️🥰.
I told my therapist I felt like I did better in school when I was using behaviors. How it is presented in this video makes so much sense. You are calmer when using behaviors...
Exactly! And I think that the low self-worth of a person, struggling with anxiety in general, is able to displace to eating behaviours. It's like "I am not worth it, so I'm no worth the food as well. I have to earn the food before (or after)." Mental illnesses like anxiety, OCD, depression etc. have so much in common with eating disorders such as anorexia...
Oh you poor thing. I am trying to learn about this as my darling niece who is 20 has this disorder. She is trying to work with the help she can get, which is at college, but they are limited in the time she can use them. Other words she can only use them for a semester or so. She is 20, and in school, so she can't afford medical help she should get. If I were able, I would assist, I'm 74, and have little limited income. I am devastated over this. I don't think she knows I know about this. I love this girl more than life itself. I was not prepared to hear this about the voices, although I lay awake at night fearing that particular thing was happening. I wish there was something that could be done. I'd sell my house and give the money for anything. God please get help to these people.
She's not inaccurate about the noise. There's definitely an overwhelming sense of anxiety, at pretty much a 24/7 constant state, that gets heightened even more so when you have to make a decision about eating. But her speech gave me anxiety and i rarely experience anxiety at all anymore. Recovered. I don't think the focus should be on treating the disease, rather they need to be treating that person themselves. Their mental state and where this stems from. But kudos for this ted talk!
I suppose I am now the first person you've met that matches what she said in the speech. I struggled with an eating disorder for over 10 years as well and I guess I will always fight. I did not like food and did not grow hungry. Sometimes I could physically tell that my stomach was empty but I did not grow hungry. Her speech cut to the core of my eating disorder and so clearly spoke to me and my history. But I suppose that's the hard part eating disorders, everyone really is so different.
This was a powerful, creative and educational presentation. You were the voice for so many who struggle with this condition. I could feel it in the last words you spoke. Your clients were standing on stage with you. Even though I am not anorexic, I struggle with some of the thoughts you described and am grateful for your compassionate and innovative perspective. Thank you.
I'm so thankful for Dr. Hill....I'm hoping to use this video to explain to my parents what I have been going through for 40+ years...like so many that don't know this...but they say if you are, then why do you do this....why don't you eat...you have to think about my daughter...etc This explains so much!
I agree with a lot of this. For some people it is just too hard to just try to jump from nothing to eating normally. So while it might sound crazy to some people to see food as medicine or 'ration', it is a mindset that can really really help others adapt to normal lives.
As a psychologist specializing in eating disorders and working on the front line with parents, the challenges families face are astounding. Taking the time to understand the complexities of eating disorders, their potential causes, and their impact on both mental and physical health is imperative for everyone in the entire family system. And sharing your concerns, challenges, and triumphs with others who can relate can provide a sense of solidarity and valuable advice.
Thank you so much for this! I’ve struggled for 20 years and have never heard someone explain how it feels so well! I’m really grateful for listening to you, and feeling heard! I can enjoy food though but just feel extremely panicked by the consequences of what’s going in. But I found the noise example really helpful! It’s like a when you’re trying to concentrate on something else the noise is so loud of fear, guilt, shame , panic etc that it’s too loud to concentrate on other things.
I believe that Dr. Hill has a very strong grasp on what the inside of the mind of a patient suffering from an eating disorder looks like, but I wonder about her "planned eating" treatment. Can this not also create a different type of obsessive disorder in which a patient will become fearful of eating anything that has not been prescribed or planned? Dr. Hill's treatment makes me think of bodybuilders and figure competitors who fear eating anything other than what they have deemed "healthy", for it might change the appearance of the their muscle. Just because they appear to be healthy does not mean that they do not suffer from the same fear as the anorexic. They still take extreme measures to quiet the voices which control their actions, sometimes to extreme lengths, and causes them turmoil.
I think what you outline might fall under orthorexia or ARFID. My child was originally diagnosed with anorexia when her symptoms fall more under orthorexia/ARFID.
I think she is only partially correct. She is talking about a very specific type of anorexia, but most anorexic people DO NOT HAVE THAT EXPERIENCE. Most of us starve, we feel hungry, ALL. THE. TIME. We do not see food as a medicine, we do not believe it's bland, We do feel pleasure from food, we think ALL DAY about food. Each person has it's own reason for an ED, and I can assure you, 90% of us don't have "I just don't like food" as a reason.
This. I enjoy good food. I can be picky with textures but mainly I enjoy it. But that lasts so short that I'll feel like I should be full despite still being hungry and it makes me feel unable to eat
My bmi right now is 13.5 and I'm 5'5. It's been a 9 year struggle with anorexia and this video truly helped me understand the disorder and I am so thankful for Dr. Hill. I will not allow myself to become a statistic. I will recover. I can't live like this anymore.
So spot on with the "thoughts" that are on autoplay. I could not have shared it better. Being someone who's struggled with anorexia off and on since I was 13 it is so true (am 26 now). Not eating keeps the voice down, but the flip side are all the symptoms of hunger that make life hard. Very interesting. Thanks!
I had bulimia about two years ago, and I think Doctor Hill is very correct in saying that recovery is so difficult. seeing weight come back on is so hard, you want to pinch and slice off all the fat. you know its good for you, but at the same time, it is the hardest thing emotionally. I'm not going to say I have developed a positive body image, but understanding that it eating disorders are an illness, not just a habit, is so important for everyone.
I had to watch this for a nutrition class and I'm glad I did because my initial impression was, "This isn't a mental disorder. Just eat". The doctor explained this well in a way that I could understand and empathize. When she put on the recording of the voices I was frustrated just trying to hear her. So I can't imagine what it must be like for a person experiencing this. "Dosing" out the medicine by ways of a set meal plan is brilliant imho. No surprises makes coping a whole lot easier. Treatment for anorexia has come a long way.
Noise in your head is so true! I've wondered if I could live off of Ensure so that I don't have to think about what I am going to eat anymore. It's in my head 24/7.
Despite not knowing to which extent I agree with the biological segment, I believe this is an extremely powerful and accurate talk. Not only because it provides insight to a disorder which is generally misconcieved but also because it gives importance to the emotional and cognitive experiences that the people who suffer from EDs deal with constantly in our lives. I was absoluteley mesmerised to see Dr Hill describe the suffering as accurately as she did without actually having felt it in her own skin. I can only imagine that this knowledge comes from a very long and strong relationship with the people she's come to know over the years as their doctor. Thank you for helping our voices be spread.
Thе Rеal ЕD Cure is over 300 Yеars Оld! twitter.com/7a4537061018a73c1/status/804602507225808896 Еating Disоrdеrs from thеeе Inside Оut Laura Hill аt ТEDхCоlumbus
anatomyandneurobio i know you posted this comment a month ago but when i read it i felt like i needed to respond. I too struggled with bulimia for the majority of my teenage years. Recovery doesn't happen all at once it takes time. I relapsed many times before i final came to a state of what i like to think of as full recovery. Mess ups are going to happen it's the pushing through starting the count the weeks you have gone purge free again that help you make it through. Keep trying! i know you can do it, try keeping a journal that's what i did.Write the positive things you achieved and dont be afraid to write the negative too, it's a nice way to look back and see how far you've come. Hope you can make it into recovery cause i know how life is with bulimia and without and without is were you want to be! good luck!
Weed helped me to get the hunger signal back again after a while, and it also lowered the noices and let them fade to the background slow but steady. For a while it wasn't healthy how much weed I smoked, but in the end it saved me from something way worse.
I've had severe, life destroying anorexia nervosa for 15 years, and I don't think I spent a minute of it not obsessing, fantasizing and dreaming about food. Every bite I allowed myself was heavenly. I would read cookbooks and watch the food network like it was porn. She made a lot of good points in her talk, but I've never met another anorexic who could honestly claim to not enjoy food.
Totally agree, although I think she means that the *ultimate result* in the brain is that the activity in itself isn't enjoyed as much by anorexic people. The reasons for it are far more complex than what brain scans can tell, and here's my little hypothesis. I've always loved food like crazy and identify very much to what you're describing (the obsession being even more acute when I'm in crisis), but when combined with the anxious and mean voices, the endless calorie calculations and the deep, deep feelings of failure and guilt associated to the moment of eating, the situation as a whole is much less enjoyable - and it reflects in the actual taste buds sensitivity + neuronal receptors. Anyone who eats while being deeply preoccupied definitely won't taste as much as someone else.
@@recoveryfocused8798 Same. The "everything tastes like cardboard" bit she talks about is what I experience, and even after months of recovery, it's still the same. It's hard to eat when it not only causes anxiety, but there is also no enjoyment in the process. It just goes to show that how each person's brain responds to starvation and eating disorders is a little bit different.
Love this video! The description of trying to accomplish things through the intense noise in the mind is what I have had trouble trying to explain for so so long. Just wish those close to me would watch this, it might just help to provide a little of piece of insight.
After suffering for five years with restricting type anorexia and now being in a very stable place in my recovery. I know it a very complex difficult to treat illness. It definitely has strong roots in biological and neurobiology but there is still components of psychological like temperament, anxiety etc that still contribute to the illness. I am a strong believer that it is biopsychosocial illness.
Thank you for this video, thank you! I never knew how to lucidly explain to my friends and family what it’s like. I always have my meal box with me and get a lot of remarks and questions. This made me feel observed and anxious but with this video I simply share the link and avoid having to explain myself more 😊
This video makes sense. I had it. Repeat mentally this sentence for 20min: SOUNDS AND NOISE GOING OUT OF MY BRAIN. Do this 4 to 8 times daily Gradually the noises will be released and you wiil see you. apetite returning. Slow but guaranteed process of recovery of hunger and apettite. It can take 1-2 months. Do it everyday and after a week or two you may begin to eat normaly. But go on doing the repetition for a month, the least, to stabilize the situation.
This video needs more views tbh.. For all those who are suffering from this.. It makes me really sad that many teenagers in many countries have been target to this disease :'(
This is very helpful as a general introduction for those who do not suffer from ED to be able to understand what goes on in the minds of those who do. With this information, it helps us at least know how to interact with those with ED. She is very kind. She is purposely dealing primarily with the physical symptoms in the few minutes allowed for a TED Talk. I loved this talk and respect her for the introductory information she sincerely provides for non-EDs concerned about those with life-threatening EDs. It is very painful to watch people with ED suffer, so this level of info is great.
I was very disappointed to hear her talk about anorexics not being hungry. I was anorexic for years and was starving all the time, and obsessed about food all of the time, too. Plus, many, many anorexics later become bulimic (if they do not at first recover) because biology takes over and the hunger becomes uncontrollable, leading to binge/purge episodes. Of course, there are exceptions, but most of the anorexics I've met were starving for food, but would often be ashamed to admit it.
My girlfriend said she feels Hungry even though she’s battled anorexia for around 9 years but she’s learns to ignore the hunger and just fights through it and the more she fights through it the easier it gets
Everyone is different!! Dr. Lauren Hill described me perfectly. I have never met her. I would go all day without eating so I could focus on my job. The noise and chatter was crazy in my brain. I manage my anorexia. I eat to live and survive. This is me and it is OK.
I'd glad to hear you are doing okay! If I may I'm just wondering how do we define recovery from anorexia? Would you say you have recovered? I know you said you are okay with the current state but is there still room and possibility for improvements, and would you like to pursue that or are you still receiving interventions?@@patriciarodzewich-vk8ck
This was so accurate !!! That is what it feels like and sounds like in your head literally when I was anorexic. My grades started plummiting. Couldn't maintain relationships.
If I only could tell how many times I've skipped go to school because those noises at my head. Twelve years hearing them... it has not been easy to live.
Ah Thank you, It was very clear explanation. Our daughter recently diagnosed with eating disorder. It has been difficult to find and get right help and answer. This video was super helpful.🙏🙏❤️❤️❤️
This makes so much sense. My BFF “had” anorexia (in reality that form of thought never goes away even at healthy weight). I filter as much as I can regarding food and weight, but many times I roll my eyes when she talks “BS” bc I know is not her, is the anorexia. Im still happy at least she eats something, although she is VERY orthorexic.
That was a great lecture. I have known a beautiful young woman who could have been a cat walk model. But she was anorexic.she just couldn't see what we could. Now I get it. Thank you.
Just because it doesn't fit your experience does not mean it is true for everyone. I can relate to what she said, the "brain thing" also does make sense. I don't get pleasure from food, and didn't/ don't feel hunger really. The "it's about control" ...don't even get me started on that. Meal plans are not to suppress anything, there are different sub-types, personalities, other possible co-mordbid conditions etc. for all people including those with anorexia.What works for one doesn't work for all
I was very lucky to only be diagnosed with a minor form of anorexia when I was 13, but I want to express the fact that it's a mental illness, not a physical one. I eventually recovered somewhat after two years of intense treatment, but the damage is already done and every time I eat I still get paranoid. I'm still quite slim, which for me is ok (I guess), but it's not worth the paranoia and social isolation you put yourself through whenever eating a meal with other people.
Thank you for this insightful talk! It's about time doctors learn about the biological link. Seems like the majority of medical physicians still don't know anything about this link or about the recovery process.
Dr. Laura Hill is my cousin. If I remember correctly she had eating disorder while growing up. She's several years older than me, I just remember mom talking about the problem occassionly.
***** I will send her a letter stating that. I googled her just to see what my cousin up to these days. Actually I haven.t talked to her in yrs. I did manage to get her address off another cousin though.
I still believe it’s something Chemical. My wife was bulimic for over 40 years. We never sought medicine. We thought it was all psychological. She died from cancer so we never got an answer. My son wrestled with anxiety. A doctor prescribed him a very old medicine that is a serotonin inhibitor. It has worked miracles!
Heyy! I want you to try and eat for me right now.. ive just had a nice cereal for breakfast and you should have a meal rn, at least a small one, i believe in you.
Hi ❤️ I hope you have someone in your life who can help you with this. If that is how you live, your body will not be able to function much longer. It might shot down organs. I care. I have a daughter struggling and I worry day and night. You are worthy. Your body deserves energy to function.
This was incredibly helpful! I never heard it explained this way. I'm going to share it with my husband and I think it will help him understand my struggle.
I’m crying as I’m watching this video I have multiple voices that are my own always talking to myself n I’m losing my hair feeling slow having extreme anxiety I starve and still won’t eat I hate when people look at me
My mother was anorexic, it wasn't a mindful or conscience thing, her body took over and from the smell of food to the texture of it , it just disgusted her since she was a child. I like the way this speaker presents information that says it's an organic situation. It is a brain, hormone situation.
In reply to FlyingMonkies325: I think you misunderstood the part when she talks about the brain. She doesn't say that the CAUSE for anorexia nervosa lies in a different brain function. I think she argues that the response of the brain of a person with an eating disorder BECOMES different and distorted DUE to her eating disorder. I understand that you're upset with the system telling us that it's "our fault" and we're just "born like that" because in my opinion most of our unhealthy and dangerous behaviour is caused and enhanced by the way we're brought up in this society - so I totally agree with you on that level. And I think it's also true that we don't have to study anything to know what effects things have on our own lives - all it takes is to become aware of them. But maybe you want to watch that part of the talk again where she talks about the brain and give it another chance.
When she teared up I was very touched. It shows how much she cares about her patients and I love that.
She REALLY, REALLY does. I know from experience. :-)
wow~ good to hear that! thnx for your response
thnx for sharing :) glad you are doing better
I missed that where does she tear up
@@robingrosch3303 18:10 -18:25, as she says that her patients had said that they would be standing there with her.
"don't ask me to take the test and eat breakfast too." I haven't heard someone explain this so well, I've had an eating disorder for 7 years now and just very recently told two close friends about it and what I've found to be the hardest part to explain is sometimes I can't eat, I have things to do and if i eat it's all i will think about and it's just so incredibly overwhelming.
You trained your way in, and you will have to train your way out... Hope you make that choice
Me too 💔 I’ve been anorexic / bulimic for 15 years and yesterday I finally told my mom and dad and my best friend of 10 years 💔 and I wanna get help because now I’m dying 😞 and I was killing my self slowly
@@peekingintojocelynslife9987 How are you doing now? My 10 year old granddaughter told me she has not eaten in three days and she’s just not hungry. I was concerned so I looked it up on UA-cam. Please reach out if you need someone to talk to.
I still believe it’s something Chemical. My son wrestled with anxiety and got on a serotonin inhibitor. It worked miracles.
She is so spot on its scary
@@peekingintojocelynslife9987 I hope you're doing better now. I only recently realized I'm anorexic. It's much more common in men than most realize. I rarely feel very hungry anymore, and I feel shame if I eat. What a terrible struggle.
We can overcome, though...
It's important to know that even though one is diagnosed with a disorder, that the way in which it manifests can be very different from person to person. No two people ever experience a diagnosis in exactly the same way. There is no need to judge or be rude to others because their experience is different than another's. Instead of dividing ourselves through criticism and judgment, let's rally together to form some real solutions for those that suffer from any eating disorder!
THANK YOU
EDs are typically competitive. If we can work to not compete with one another’s, we are winning the battle together.
I actually was moved to tears when she played the noise--the noise, the voices, the thoughts that a person with an eating disorder hears while they're eating (and all day). I can't believe I just actually heard with my ears what I've heard in my head for years. How powerful. I so appreciate her impeccable explanation of what it's like to have an eating disorder, so those who don't can understand, and so those who do can feel seen, heard and cared about.
Thats so true
I don't have an eating disorder, but I have an anxiety problem. When she did that noise thing with the tape recorder, I totally understood. When you're anxious sometimes all you hear all you hear are nasty comments. It makes you freak out (at least I freak out).
I can relate to this comment so much. I've had anorexia and I still have anxiety and depression and the noise between them is very similar and sometimes bleeds over into each other.
I cried. It just hit too hard
This woman has changed my life in so many ways. As her client, she has not only given me hope, but she has also instilled in me a passion to contribute my life to the research and treatment of eating disorders. I can only hope to make as much of an impact on individuals as Dr. Hill made on me. She gives relief to those suffering just by vocalizing what many of us have not been able to. Thanks, you all are beautiful :) keep fighting... there is hope.
That noise is almost always in my head. That is so accurate.
+yerb Who is a normal eater any more ? I think most woman in particular are screwed up by unrealistic expectations
How do you understand anything it says
That’s how my head is too. I have a panic disorder with agoraphobia and bulimia.
Same.
This video was shown to my mom while I was at the Emily program and it created a whole new understanding of an eating disorder so that she could help me through this illness. I'm so thankful for this video
This was incredible. As a dad helping his daughter battle through this (with the help of a program and experts), it was great to get a better understanding of what she is going through.
She is lucky to have a loving dad searching for more knowledge on this topic…it is indeed very complex…I’m wishing the best for your daughter✨
I'm helping my daughter battle through Anorexia as well. It is brutal for me to see her go through these "episodes" of hers. I am as supportive as I can. It is harder now that she has relapsed.
This presentation was alright. It is always good to get more attentions to ED's and know that is is not about food. However, she made it sound as if the anorexic brain is chemically different than a "normal" person's. In my anorexia, I still got hunger cues, though i worked hard to suppress them. I still enjoyed food, though i hated to admit it. And as someone else on the thread said, my ind was never quiet. Even if not eating, i was still thinking about food- when i would eat, how many hours until i could eat, counting calories from the past day 10-20 times obsessively.
Completely agree with this. I went from being a binge eater to anorexia and the obsession with food is real.
+Madeline Graf Mine was/is the exact same way. I kinda think there may be different "types" of anorexia in itself (type I, type II maybe?) I love food but I love the feeling of denying myself and the control more for sure.
Hi Charlie! Thank you! I am doing very well!
"For some it's definitely a relationship with food that is very much like OCD. For some it's almost an underlying anxiety or depression. For some it's a way to gain control over an out of control life" I see those things as all pretty much the same thing. OCD is an anxiety disorder (and as I see it, so are EDs in general) If someone has an anxiety disorder, it is likely at some point or another they are going to be depressed from it. Anxiety disorders, anxiety is often caused by holding a certain belief and then facing a situation or something that is incongruent with that belief and then trying to get rid of the feeling it causes (anxiety, anger, embarrassment, etc) by then trying to cope, control and so on; these things can be considered compulsions. It might just be the belief that one shouldn't be feeling anxious, or do not want to and are trying to chase a certain feeling, or running from anxiety (and sadly/ ironically, causing it more).
I also think that often times people with EDs go back and forth between "love/hate" of food. It just tends to depend on which side they feel more cognitively aligned with at the time. There's a reason so many "recovery" accounts online are just photos of food taken obsessively....
A lot of times it is that there is a sort of burn out I think, in being so anxious, that one "learns" in some ways, to just give up and not enjoy food. It is a response to anxiety. As I see it, a "let go of all desire and it won't hurt/ be painful, no anxiety over it. If you don't have the desire, it won't hurt anymore." but you also don't really get any pleasure out of it. It's being controlled by the ED, cognitively aligned and beaten down.
KrayolaBlue91 p
This woman has made me cry. I have suffered from anorexia for five years now, I've learnt to live with that second voice inside of me, but there are several days that eating feels like a war, and people just wouldn't understand. If only someone knew how much anxiety I felt (and I still feel) from "going out of my confort zone" with food, recovery would be way easier and no one would say "you just have to be more flexible, that's all". It's not that easy.
(Sorry for my bad English)
Ariadna Squirrel Same for me. Anxiety off the charts!
This helped me to understand what my daughter is going through. When I would cook dinner and make her sit down with us I could see the agony on her face! It’s horrible and I just didn’t understand why. Thank you for this
I have had anorexia for 17 years this April, and I am 24. (I have never had a bmi over 18.5) This was the most accurate description of anorexia and the voices inside the head of many of those who suffer from actual anorexia. It was difficult to watch the first time she pressed the tape recorder and took me over a month to rewatch that part because of how seriously accurate that was. This is also a good video to show to those who do not have a clue about eating disorders and the mental damage that it causes. (including anorexia).
*fyi: everyone is different, even in their eating disorders. those with eating disorders have different roots of manifestations and different health problems and side effects.
Bailey Watt You have allowed it. The machine's taught you how to do it. If you grew up on a deserted ocean island you'd be a hunter/gatherer. the end.
Bailey Watt If you "eat" food the "anorexia" will disappear.
not exactly... last time I checked it doesn't work that way half the time...some people do recover that way but mine is too deep rooted to just eat and be normal again. sorry.
Bailey Watt Since this is anonymous I will share with you Bailey. I applaud your professional and mature dealings with plutoplatters who is either a lousy troll, or an ignorant sheep. The brain is a complex and interesting "machine" to use pluto's words. Your machine doesn't view food as a source of joy the way most of our brains do. I find it fascinating that your brain sees food as what it actually is- fuel/medicine, and not what the rest of us lab rats see it as- reward/payment/therapy/etc. I find your mind's way of viewing food as advanced because you are not shackled by your tastes or desire to seek pleasure. My mind is unique as well. I dont feel empathy or guilt the way others do. My brain stores memories differently. There are many pros and some cons to the way my brain works, but you know, its as silly to think that if only I'd "feel more" I'd be less sociopathic, than it is for you to "eat food and make the anorexia go away." Its like telling a shark to eat more seaweed and he will become a vegetarian.
So true. I'm a recovering anorexic, and I can say I was hungry all.the.time. I loved food, was obsessed with it. I just stifled my normal biological responses.
It's not really about food. Food and restriction are merely the symptoms.
how did you recover?
How did you recover ?
even when youre not eating theres noise anorexia consumes your brain even when youre not eating all you think about is food
+Sarah F and this is true for all kinds of eating disorders also
yeah I agree I should have said that
I even dream about it. I wake up excited to eat whatever I dreamed. Usually a Snickers or a huge plate of spaghetti. Then, I realize it was a dream and I’m not eating those things. It sucks sooooo much.
The noise is always there
@@sfaure91 I agree - the noise is always there. Have your studies shown why the noise is so loud all the time? Thank you so much for sharing! 🌺
I have viewed this several times. I am speaking for myself. This was exactly my thoughts when I was severely in anorexia. I wouldn’t eat until 4P at work because if I ate my mind would be completely lost in my anorexic thoughts about what the food would do to my body. I would watch others eat and get back to work and just couldn’t understand how they could eat and not think about the food they ate. Today I do get the thoughts although I have taught myself it is ok because for me food is my nutrition to live. Nothing more and nothing less.
This video struck a really deep nerve - so few people understand that it's NOT just about food. It's not just a matter of telling someone, "Oh, just eat a sandwich, just eat, that's all it takes." The ED can be a coping mechanism; it's not simply a matter of vanity and "a diet gone wrong". It's a mental disorder, plain and simple. If given the choice to deal with expected stress like a test or a trying day at work, or try to ~recover~ and add to the incessant noise that comes with eating? I'm not going to fucking eat in order to still have the ability to focus and function in my day-to-day life. Hill absolutely nails this perfectly.
+Bleed Peroxide I'm waiting for someone to come up with the same explanation and some strategies for the opposite problem--there's also no use in telling someone to stop eating as if their life depends on it unless you can prove that it does not. Some of us were indirectly, and no doubt unintentionally, given to understand that it does.
" I'm not going to fucking eat in order to still have the ability to focus and function in my day-to-day life." the issue with this is that long term, one with an ED has less likelihood in the long run to be able to maintain "normal" day to day life if they do not deal with the anxiety and eat, and learn to deal with it...that was the point.
+KrayolaBlue91 I'm unfortunately quite aware of that. But when you don't have the luxury to drop everything and devote all of your energy, time, and/or money into recovering, you have to patch the holes and deal with it. I don't have the luxury to dig through almost three decades' worth of bullshit to fix my ED or complicate my life with a recovery-centric lifestyle - so I manage with the tools I have.
(I realize my tone may come off as hostile - please do not take it as such.
I can understand that; it sucks that in our "system" that, for some that is how it is. I just wanted to state the point in case others who do have access, that their eating disorder simply tries to use it as an excuse to not recover; as ED can try to use anything and everything.
mine started from trauma from my mom telling me am i skeleton and suffering from bi polar. my body is the only thing i can control
Thank you, Dr. Hill, thank you for this very important talk. You gave the best insight I've ever heard into what actually goes on inside the head of an anorexic (or at least in a certain manifestation of anorexia)...as the mother of a severely anorexic daughter, it helped me to react with understanding and sympathy, rather than blank despair and confusion. Even though I was fully aware of anorexia being a mis-wiring problem of fear vs. food circuits in the brain, this made it much more real to me, so that I can deal with it more calmly.
All the best for you and your daughter Rachel, I hope she's feeling better soon.
I have struggled with an eating disorder for a while and she absolutely nails everything about the vicousness of eating disorders.
Thank you Dr. Hill I'm a diagnosed bulimic, and I just shared this vidwith my daddy and my man. I want them to understand, that story of the father brought tears as it brings hope in my recovery. Lots of love.
I was so excited to find this talk. I am recovering from EDNOS & I'm also a psychology student. So many people misunderstand ED's & I was glad that she looked at it from a physical/biological standpoint. About her just choosing Anorexia, maybe that's the main illness she treats. Some people who treat ED's specialize in treating one type. Maybe she just had to focus on one disorder for time sake. Many treatment centers only work with female patients. Maybe that's why she said "she" so much, although I do agree that men & boys do have eating disorders. But sadly, many male cases are underreported/undertreated.
Thank you Dr. Laura Hill. I am a 50 year old with EDNOS A-typical Anorexia. I am struggling to explain what it's like to have to overcome something invisible. You brought the voices to life. I appreciate you bringing more awareness to the subject of Eating Disorders and hope that research continues to help the general public understand something they cannot see. Unlike a broken arm, it's hard to see an ED and have compassion for what goes on inside the head and the body when someone is starving to stay sane. Thank you for bringing that vision to life.
I thank Dr Hill... I've been struggling so much for the past year, and now I have hope and direction to what should I do to get functional again... the ending was so emotional. she's amazing. God bless her.
This talk was extremely informative, although I wish more time were given to discussing Bulimia, BED and EDNOS and each of their effects on the brain.
This is the most accurate thing for me. The noise is slightly different but its basically the same
I cant explain how well you capture what i'm feeling right now ... i'm planning on showing this to my friends because they don't understand this and i think this will help
I love this video. I always thought I was crazy or something because that inner critic is something I struggle with every moment. My boyfriend and I watched it together and it gave both of us a new understanding of what i'm going through. Thank you Laura Hill!
Thank you! I have been bulimic for 13 years, and have finally, at age 30 decided to seek help. I truly believed that I had control over "my food issues" as I referred to it, never believing it is what it is, bulimia. I am 12 days sober, and tonight I had a pizza, the noise/voiced was there, but tonight they were only a soft whisper. I know I still have a long road to recovery, and some days the voices are as loud as a speeding train, but I know I will beat this. I have no choice, I want to live!
Thank you for this. My 9 year old son was recently diagnosed with anorexia and this was so helpful to watch. It added another link in my chain of hope to his recovery. I really and truly appreciated the explanation of what’s happening in my son’s head when it comes to meals. As heartbreaking as it is, it’s also an eye opener for how I can better communicate with him, and help him to turn down Ed( his eating disorder voice.) Thank you 🙏🏽❤️🥰.
you and your son is so strong mama
he’s so young i’m so sorry🥺 i hope he recovers, we’re all in this together❤️
I told my therapist I felt like I did better in school when I was using behaviors. How it is presented in this video makes so much sense. You are calmer when using behaviors...
i’ve never seen something explain what goes on in my head more perfectly than this. 3:20
That "noise" is what people who have feelings of low self-worth in general hear in their minds much of the time.
Exactly! And I think that the low self-worth of a person, struggling with anxiety in general, is able to displace to eating behaviours. It's like "I am not worth it, so I'm no worth the food as well. I have to earn the food before (or after)." Mental illnesses like anxiety, OCD, depression etc. have so much in common with eating disorders such as anorexia...
Oh you poor thing. I am trying to learn about this as my darling niece who is 20 has this disorder. She is trying to work with the help she can get, which is at college, but they are limited in the time she can use them. Other words she can only use them for a semester or so. She is 20, and in school, so she can't afford medical help she should get. If I were able, I would assist, I'm 74, and have little limited income. I am devastated over this. I don't think she knows I know about this. I love this girl more than life itself. I was not prepared to hear this about the voices, although I lay awake at night fearing that particular thing was happening. I wish there was something that could be done. I'd sell my house and give the money for anything. God please get help to these people.
@@vonbunn You are an angel.
She's not inaccurate about the noise. There's definitely an overwhelming sense of anxiety, at pretty much a 24/7 constant state, that gets heightened even more so when you have to make a decision about eating. But her speech gave me anxiety and i rarely experience anxiety at all anymore. Recovered. I don't think the focus should be on treating the disease, rather they need to be treating that person themselves. Their mental state and where this stems from. But kudos for this ted talk!
I suppose I am now the first person you've met that matches what she said in the speech. I struggled with an eating disorder for over 10 years as well and I guess I will always fight. I did not like food and did not grow hungry. Sometimes I could physically tell that my stomach was empty but I did not grow hungry. Her speech cut to the core of my eating disorder and so clearly spoke to me and my history. But I suppose that's the hard part eating disorders, everyone really is so different.
One of the BEST Ted Talks I’ve ever heard. Moved me to tears at the end…
So accurate, so informative. Absolutely beautiful to see her passion for helping those recover.
such a great way for to explain it to people who have a loved one who is suffering from this.
This was a powerful, creative and educational presentation. You were the voice for so many who struggle with this condition. I could feel it in the last words you spoke. Your clients were standing on stage with you. Even though I am not anorexic, I struggle with some of the thoughts you described and am grateful for your compassionate and innovative perspective. Thank you.
Hello
I'm so thankful for Dr. Hill....I'm hoping to use this video to explain to my parents what I have been going through for 40+ years...like so many that don't know this...but they say if you are, then why do you do this....why don't you eat...you have to think about my daughter...etc This explains so much!
I agree with a lot of this. For some people it is just too hard to just try to jump from nothing to eating normally. So while it might sound crazy to some people to see food as medicine or 'ration', it is a mindset that can really really help others adapt to normal lives.
As a psychologist specializing in eating disorders and working on the front line with parents, the challenges families face are astounding. Taking the time to understand the complexities of eating disorders, their potential causes, and their impact on both mental and physical health is imperative for everyone in the entire family system. And sharing your concerns, challenges, and triumphs with others who can relate can provide a sense of solidarity and valuable advice.
Good presentation and many accurate points. I would have been nice if she talked about why some people develop eating disorders while others do not.
Thank you so much for this! I’ve struggled for 20 years and have never heard someone explain how it feels so well! I’m really grateful for listening to you, and feeling heard!
I can enjoy food though but just feel extremely panicked by the consequences of what’s going in. But I found the noise example really helpful! It’s like a when you’re trying to concentrate on something else the noise is so loud of fear, guilt, shame , panic etc that it’s too loud to concentrate on other things.
I have never heard someone explain it so well! Perfectly illustrated
Dr. Hill, thank you for teaching about eating disorders in a way that helps the public truly understand that EDs are an illness.
I believe that Dr. Hill has a very strong grasp on what the inside of the mind of a patient suffering from an eating disorder looks like, but I wonder about her "planned eating" treatment. Can this not also create a different type of obsessive disorder in which a patient will become fearful of eating anything that has not been prescribed or planned? Dr. Hill's treatment makes me think of bodybuilders and figure competitors who fear eating anything other than what they have deemed "healthy", for it might change the appearance of the their muscle. Just because they appear to be healthy does not mean that they do not suffer from the same fear as the anorexic. They still take extreme measures to quiet the voices which control their actions, sometimes to extreme lengths, and causes them turmoil.
I think what you outline might fall under orthorexia or ARFID. My child was originally diagnosed with anorexia when her symptoms fall more under orthorexia/ARFID.
FINALLY!! God bless you for sharing not just for your patients, but for all of us who are suffering
I have tears in my eyes right now. No one has ever explained what I've felt for years with such an accuracy
I think she is only partially correct. She is talking about a very specific type of anorexia, but most anorexic people DO NOT HAVE THAT EXPERIENCE. Most of us starve, we feel hungry, ALL. THE. TIME. We do not see food as a medicine, we do not believe it's bland, We do feel pleasure from food, we think ALL DAY about food. Each person has it's own reason for an ED, and I can assure you, 90% of us don't have "I just don't like food" as a reason.
This. I enjoy good food. I can be picky with textures but mainly I enjoy it. But that lasts so short that I'll feel like I should be full despite still being hungry and it makes me feel unable to eat
My bmi right now is 13.5 and I'm 5'5. It's been a 9 year struggle with anorexia and this video truly helped me understand the disorder and I am so thankful for Dr. Hill. I will not allow myself to become a statistic. I will recover. I can't live like this anymore.
I know you can do it,we all can recover
Whitney Clement My daughter has anorexia as well and she's on her way to recovery. just don't give up and we all have hope.:)
Whitney Clement you can do it, I know it's hard but you can do it, God will help you thru this!
How are you?
Oh damn. That recording of the noise was....spot on. Scarily on point
So spot on with the "thoughts" that are on autoplay. I could not have shared it better. Being someone who's struggled with anorexia off and on since I was 13 it is so true (am 26 now). Not eating keeps the voice down, but the flip side are all the symptoms of hunger that make life hard. Very interesting. Thanks!
This is so spot on. She is incredibly accurate.
I had bulimia about two years ago, and I think Doctor Hill is very correct in saying that recovery is so difficult. seeing weight come back on is so hard, you want to pinch and slice off all the fat. you know its good for you, but at the same time, it is the hardest thing emotionally. I'm not going to say I have developed a positive body image, but understanding that it eating disorders are an illness, not just a habit, is so important for everyone.
I had to watch this for a nutrition class and I'm glad I did because my initial impression was, "This isn't a mental disorder. Just eat". The doctor explained this well in a way that I could understand and empathize. When she put on the recording of the voices I was frustrated just trying to hear her. So I can't imagine what it must be like for a person experiencing this. "Dosing" out the medicine by ways of a set meal plan is brilliant imho. No surprises makes coping a whole lot easier. Treatment for anorexia has come a long way.
Noise in your head is so true! I've wondered if I could live off of Ensure so that I don't have to think about what I am going to eat anymore. It's in my head 24/7.
Namaste ... so much more known, shared & expressed than 40+ years back for me ... much gratitude ... I can relate to soooo much
Speaking as someone who has struggled with BED and bulimia for a lifetime, I can say that a lot of this rang true for me.
Despite not knowing to which extent I agree with the biological segment, I believe this is an extremely powerful and accurate talk. Not only because it provides insight to a disorder which is generally misconcieved but also because it gives importance to the emotional and cognitive experiences that the people who suffer from EDs deal with constantly in our lives. I was absoluteley mesmerised to see Dr Hill describe the suffering as accurately as she did without actually having felt it in her own skin. I can only imagine that this knowledge comes from a very long and strong relationship with the people she's come to know over the years as their doctor. Thank you for helping our voices be spread.
Holy god, THIS is a REALLY GOOD talk.
these ted talks are addicting....
Thе Rеal ЕD Cure is over 300 Yеars Оld! twitter.com/7a4537061018a73c1/status/804602507225808896 Еating Disоrdеrs from thеeе Inside Оut Laura Hill аt ТEDхCоlumbus
Mis Kay ikr
This was hugely beneficial. Thank you so much. - from a father of an anorexia sufferer
anatomyandneurobio i know you posted this comment a month ago but when i read it i felt like i needed to respond. I too struggled with bulimia for the majority of my teenage years. Recovery doesn't happen all at once it takes time. I relapsed many times before i final came to a state of what i like to think of as full recovery. Mess ups are going to happen it's the pushing through starting the count the weeks you have gone purge free again that help you make it through. Keep trying! i know you can do it, try keeping a journal that's what i did.Write the positive things you achieved and dont be afraid to write the negative too, it's a nice way to look back and see how far you've come. Hope you can make it into recovery cause i know how life is with bulimia and without and without is were you want to be! good luck!
I'd love to see/hear Laura Hill do the same presentation on our brains on bulimia. Enlightening presentation! Thank You!!!
wow. when she brought up that tape. it’s honestly really realistic, like she got it exactly right
Everyone with eating disorder should listen to all of this. Thanks to my future son inlaw
Weed helped me to get the hunger signal back again after a while, and it also lowered the noices and let them fade to the background slow but steady. For a while it wasn't healthy how much weed I smoked, but in the end it saved me from something way worse.
maybe CBD could work? Sending love ❤️
I've had severe, life destroying anorexia nervosa for 15 years, and I don't think I spent a minute of it not obsessing, fantasizing and dreaming about food. Every bite I allowed myself was heavenly. I would read cookbooks and watch the food network like it was porn. She made a lot of good points in her talk, but I've never met another anorexic who could honestly claim to not enjoy food.
Totally agree, although I think she means that the *ultimate result* in the brain is that the activity in itself isn't enjoyed as much by anorexic people. The reasons for it are far more complex than what brain scans can tell, and here's my little hypothesis.
I've always loved food like crazy and identify very much to what you're describing (the obsession being even more acute when I'm in crisis), but when combined with the anxious and mean voices, the endless calorie calculations and the deep, deep feelings of failure and guilt associated to the moment of eating, the situation as a whole is much less enjoyable - and it reflects in the actual taste buds sensitivity + neuronal receptors. Anyone who eats while being deeply preoccupied definitely won't taste as much as someone else.
I cannot enjoy food. It causes me no pleasure whatsoever.
@@recoveryfocused8798 Same. The "everything tastes like cardboard" bit she talks about is what I experience, and even after months of recovery, it's still the same. It's hard to eat when it not only causes anxiety, but there is also no enjoyment in the process. It just goes to show that how each person's brain responds to starvation and eating disorders is a little bit different.
Love this video! The description of trying to accomplish things through the intense noise in the mind is what I have had trouble trying to explain for so so long. Just wish those close to me would watch this, it might just help to provide a little of piece of insight.
After suffering for five years with restricting type anorexia and now being in a very stable place in my recovery. I know it a very complex difficult to treat illness. It definitely has strong roots in biological and neurobiology but there is still components of psychological like temperament, anxiety etc that still contribute to the illness. I am a strong believer that it is biopsychosocial illness.
so how did you recover?
Thank you for this video, thank you! I never knew how to lucidly explain to my friends and family what it’s like. I always have my meal box with me and get a lot of remarks and questions. This made me feel observed and anxious but with this video I simply share the link and avoid having to explain myself more 😊
This video makes sense.
I had it.
Repeat mentally this sentence for 20min:
SOUNDS AND NOISE GOING OUT OF MY BRAIN.
Do this 4 to 8 times daily
Gradually the noises will be released and you wiil see you. apetite returning.
Slow but guaranteed process of recovery of hunger and apettite.
It can take 1-2 months.
Do it everyday and after a week or two you may begin to eat normaly.
But go on doing the repetition for a month, the least, to stabilize the situation.
This video needs more views tbh.. For all those who are suffering from this.. It makes me really sad that many teenagers in many countries have been target to this disease :'(
This is spot on! The noise : (
This is very helpful as a general introduction for those who do not suffer from ED to be able to understand what goes on in the minds of those who do. With this information, it helps us at least know how to interact with those with ED. She is very kind. She is purposely dealing primarily with the physical symptoms in the few minutes allowed for a TED Talk. I loved this talk and respect her for the introductory information she sincerely provides for non-EDs concerned about those with life-threatening EDs. It is very painful to watch people with ED suffer, so this level of info is great.
I was very disappointed to hear her talk about anorexics not being hungry. I was anorexic for years and was starving all the time, and obsessed about food all of the time, too. Plus, many, many anorexics later become bulimic (if they do not at first recover) because biology takes over and the hunger becomes uncontrollable, leading to binge/purge episodes. Of course, there are exceptions, but most of the anorexics I've met were starving for food, but would often be ashamed to admit it.
how did you recover?
My girlfriend said she feels Hungry even though she’s battled anorexia for around 9 years but she’s learns to ignore the hunger and just fights through it and the more she fights through it the easier it gets
Everyone is different!! Dr. Lauren Hill described me perfectly. I have never met her. I would go all day without eating so I could focus on my job. The noise and chatter was crazy in my brain. I manage my anorexia. I eat to live and survive. This is me and it is OK.
I'd glad to hear you are doing okay! If I may I'm just wondering how do we define recovery from anorexia? Would you say you have recovered? I know you said you are okay with the current state but is there still room and possibility for improvements, and would you like to pursue that or are you still receiving interventions?@@patriciarodzewich-vk8ck
yes i get hungry. i can starve myself for 3 or 4 days, and then eat a bit and the cycle starts again. i feel guilty when i eat
the noise gave me chills. it’s so so realistic.
thats how i feel when i eat around others
This was so accurate !!! That is what it feels like and sounds like in your head literally when I was anorexic. My grades started plummiting. Couldn't maintain relationships.
how did you recover?
Such a top video - lots of fact - the average person doesn’t understand the complexity of this illness- excellent information here
If I only could tell how many times I've skipped go to school because those noises at my head. Twelve years hearing them... it has not been easy to live.
How did you overcome it ?
My only daughter 13 y old in November base been diagnosed with it last week.
Ah Thank you, It was very clear explanation.
Our daughter recently diagnosed with eating disorder.
It has been difficult to find and get right help and answer.
This video was super helpful.🙏🙏❤️❤️❤️
This makes so much sense. My BFF “had” anorexia (in reality that form of thought never goes away even at healthy weight). I filter as much as I can regarding food and weight, but many times I roll my eyes when she talks “BS” bc I know is not her, is the anorexia. Im still happy at least she eats something, although she is VERY orthorexic.
This is so true 4:24 that's me 24/7 and it's ruining my life i wish I was thinner but i also with that i didn't wish that I was thinner
Dana Al you’re being controlled by your disorder
That was a great lecture. I have known a beautiful young woman who could have been a cat walk model. But she was anorexic.she just couldn't see what we could. Now I get it. Thank you.
Just because it doesn't fit your experience does not mean it is true for everyone. I can relate to what she said, the "brain thing" also does make sense. I don't get pleasure from food, and didn't/ don't feel hunger really. The "it's about control" ...don't even get me started on that. Meal plans are not to suppress anything, there are different sub-types, personalities, other possible co-mordbid conditions etc. for all people including those with anorexia.What works for one doesn't work for all
That tape is every waking moment in my life. I’ll even dream it sometimes. There’s no escape.😔
I was very lucky to only be diagnosed with a minor form of anorexia when I was 13, but I want to express the fact that it's a mental illness, not a physical one. I eventually recovered somewhat after two years of intense treatment, but the damage is already done and every time I eat I still get paranoid. I'm still quite slim, which for me is ok (I guess), but it's not worth the paranoia and social isolation you put yourself through whenever eating a meal with other people.
I was not expecting that tape to hit me like it did. It is so exact. Wow.
Wonderful. Literally made me cry.
👏🏼
Thank you for this insightful talk! It's about time doctors learn about the biological link. Seems like the majority of medical physicians still don't know anything about this link or about the recovery process.
Youre changing lives. Keep doing what youre doing
Dr. Laura Hill is my cousin. If I remember correctly she had eating disorder while growing up. She's several years older than me, I just remember mom talking about the problem occassionly.
***** I will send her a letter stating that. I googled her just to see what my cousin up to these days. Actually I haven.t talked to her in yrs. I did manage to get her address off another cousin though.
I still believe it’s something Chemical. My wife was bulimic for over 40 years. We never sought medicine. We thought it was all psychological. She died from cancer so we never got an answer. My son wrestled with anxiety. A doctor prescribed him a very old medicine that is a serotonin inhibitor. It has worked miracles!
i've got to the point where i'm eating once a week and that's it. this video made me cry honestly.
Heyy! I want you to try and eat for me right now.. ive just had a nice cereal for breakfast and you should have a meal rn, at least a small one, i believe in you.
Hi ❤️ I hope you have someone in your life who can help you with this. If that is how you live, your body will not be able to function much longer. It might shot down organs. I care. I have a daughter struggling and I worry day and night. You are worthy. Your body deserves energy to function.
@@Svtmme73 thank you this means a lot
This was incredibly helpful! I never heard it explained this way. I'm going to share it with my husband and I think it will help him understand my struggle.
I’m crying as I’m watching this video I have multiple voices that are my own always talking to myself n I’m losing my hair feeling slow having extreme anxiety I starve and still won’t eat I hate when people look at me
My mother was anorexic, it wasn't a mindful or conscience thing, her body took over and from the smell of food to the texture of it , it just disgusted her since she was a child. I like the way this speaker presents information that says it's an organic situation. It is a brain, hormone situation.
It feels good to be hungry. I love feeling empty. It makes me feel lighter. Makes me feel like I’m strong and in control.
In reply to FlyingMonkies325:
I think you misunderstood the part when she talks about the brain.
She doesn't say that the CAUSE for anorexia nervosa lies in a different brain function. I think she argues that the response of the brain of a person with an eating disorder BECOMES different and distorted DUE to her eating disorder.
I understand that you're upset with the system telling us that it's "our fault" and we're just "born like that" because in my opinion most of our unhealthy and dangerous behaviour is caused and enhanced by the way we're brought up in this society - so I totally agree with you on that level. And I think it's also true that we don't have to study anything to know what effects things have on our own lives - all it takes is to become aware of them.
But maybe you want to watch that part of the talk again where she talks about the brain and give it another chance.
I LOVE THIS! I need to show this to my parents.