Eating Disorders

I wonder how many people here have suffered, are currently suffering with/ recovering from an eating disorder? For 11 years of my life I had an ED, anorexia then bulimia, (age 13 - 24). I am now 27 and have been "free" from it for 3 years thanks to a lot of therapy. I was only diagnosed with autism last year (age 26) and wonder how much being diagnosed earlier might have saved me struggling from the ED. Anyone had a similar experience?

I am setting up an Eating Disorder Support Group in Horsham, West Sussex. It will be on Tuesday evenings 7pm - 8pm at St Mark's Church Hall, Horsham. The first meeting is on 15th April 2025. I want to help other people going though the same thing that I went through.

overwhelmed & underwhelmed 4 days ago

There's a light-hearted thread on the go at the moment about memories of school dinners, together with comments not only about the quality of the food, but the possible sensory connections as to why some may not like certain textures & tastes.

https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/topics/mental-health/eating-disorders

Research says that up to 23% of those with eating disorders may have Autism. You can turn that around and say that most with an eating disorder don't appear to have Autism. I am not convinced that an earlier diagnosis would have prevented your struggles, although there's a possibility, and you'll never know.

My niece was diagnosed with Autism at 6 years old. She went on to develop eating disorders progressively until the age of approximately 13 and only now is managing to move forward from this. I feel she may have recovered from these disorders sooner had she not been Autistic, but that's just my impression.

I do feel that an Autistic mindset doesn't necessarily help when you get into patterns of behaviour, including eating.

I wish you luck with your support group.