Really....maybe something to discuss with my doc in November...

I totally "forgot" about my hypoglycemia until my prof mentioned blood sugar disorders that are often related to anxiety disorders. I was like "Holy crap! That's me!" Lol. I'm a really big nerd. :)

Anyway, I am going to be more vigilant about my eating habits. My bf and I have committed to getting back to eating clean again but it also is about eating regularly, etc.

Yeah, you know, to use a tired analogy, it is kind of like peeling back the layers of an onion. When you take care of one issue, you move on to another one. When I was at my lowest weight thanks to an ED, I still had several issues (including anxiety). After gaining weight, and then losing it the right way this time, I knew that being thin would not take care of some of my problems... had been there before and like marbear24 said, still felt the same. You know what though? All you can really do is tackle the issues one at a time. And appreciate all the hard work you've done in the meantime! :)

There is a study that links OCD to hypoglycemia. I have a friend with severe OCD that swears by the hypoglycemia diet (http://www.hypoglycemia.asn.au/artic...emic_diet.html) that relieves her symptoms. I take B complex vitamins every day and it REALLY helps not only with energy but with my mood.

The scariest thing about where I am in my onion is that I have dealt with my past so now I am staring straight into my soul and realizing that maybe there are some things that I don't like so much about myself that I want to work on. I told my mother that dealing with my past was EASY compared to the battle that is to take place within myself now. It's about fundamental changes within myself (not getting over what someone else has done to me) and that's HARD. There's no one to "blame" but yourself. YIKES!

Thanks for the link. I am going to check it out. My hypoglycemia is mild so I haven't really given as much focus as perhaps I should. Also, I have had a **** of a time getting good information about it. I actually went to a nutritionist when I was first "diagnosed" who sat there are just showed me the same plastic pieces of food that I was shown in grade school and high school health classes. Wasted one hour of my life and never went back to the nutritionist. Lol.

My boyfriend has me taking vitamin B complex as well. I agree that it helps with the energy level but not much else. But hey! I'll take energy any day! :) I also take Iron and fish oil. I think the fish oil helps a lot too. I have never tried any herbal anxiety remedies, despite there being some very effective and psychologist-approved ones on the market, because, well, I just got off of medication, and it's hard to know if they are really "working".

Fat Pants:

CONGRATS ON YOUR SUCCESS SO FAR!
HOLY COW, WOMAN! YOU ARE FANTASTIC ;)

:carrot:

I know EXACTLY what you mean. And to be honest, once I finally got the OCD under control I really had to confront some not nice things about myself. You know, us anxious types... we hate confrontation, we want people to like us, we're people pleasers, and think we are generally good people (which we are!) But just because we don't have aggressive personalities doesn't mean there aren't things about ourselves that aren't negative. I know something that I had to confront and am still working on is gossiping about my coworkers! When I realized this stuff was affecting my mood and emotions is when I really had to do something about it. It's not easy, but just think of how much of a better person you will be once you do confront these aspects of yourself.

One mantra from therapy that I LOVED is that you can't control your thoughts or feelings, but you can control your actions. I.e. you can't control the random thoughts that pop into your head or feeling anxious but you can control how you respond to them. I can choose to entertain the negative emotions or thoughts or I can use therapeutic techniques or go for a run or generally choose a more positive way to respond to the issue. I find that this helps far beyond responding just to anxiety!!

Hang in there. The hard work will pay off, and you will be amazed at how freer you feel once you get there. There are several times I look back and say "Why did I wait so long to get the right help?" I lost several years of my life just living in anxiety and fear and I finally feel like the "old me" once again. It sounds like you are making a lot of progress in therapy... it only goes up from here. :hug:

LOL thanks, lost it all from running! Just another reason why I'm a huge fan of it! ;)

You hit me on the head with your description. I will (1) lie to you and/or myself and (2) cry and cry and cry to try to avoid confrontation. Inside, I know I am a people-pleaser and want everyone to like me. Obviously, not everyone likes anyone. When I run into someone I don't get along with, I automatically focus on their lesser qualities to make myself feel better about them not liking me. Which isn't fair at all.

The first step for me is definitely being honest with myself (semi-colon) about the characteristics that I dislike. Then, making an effort to identify and deal with those issues. I have to say that I did a good thing today with all of this in mind. Unfortunately, the whole story is way too long and involved to discuss (had to do with being honest with self and others even though it might upset both parties. lol) but it was definitely there. :)

My anxiety level has been particularly high for whatever reason this week, usually so, I might add. I need to get back in focus and remember to do my "coping exercises" and deep breathing (and all that jazz) to not allow the "spiraling thoughts" or negative "what ifs" get out of hand. (They have been this week.)

Sharing always helps. This thread kind of just became a anxiety and weight loss support thread but I am very, very okay with that. ;)

I think that I'm finally starting to deal with things. I've been in therapy on and off since I was 11, anxiety/depression related, weight and body-image related, ED related, etc. I used to be such a people pleaser that I could never get around to being a fully-formed human being; one who is strict in who she is and doesn't take anything from anyone.

On the reverse side, I spent so long vilifying the "popular kids", the ones everything seemed to come so easily for. I also tended to blame everything on my weight and appearance, choosing to believe that the only reason these people didn't like me was because I was unattractive. As I'm discovering that that is not the truth, I've started making big changes in my life.

This summer I went home and did a major overhaul on myself. I quit smoking (my anxious habit... gives you something to do with your hands, so you seem cool instead of insecure), took time off from drinking, started exercising, starting eating healthy and fresh foods, started meds for my depression, and lost 20 lbs. I feel much, much better. It's not all due to the weight loss, though. It does make me feel wonderful and attractive, but that definitely is not the only reason I've been feeling better. It has to come in a package for weight-loss to really change your life.

First of all, thank you for sharing your experiences with me/us. :) I think that I finally figured out, basically, what you said about weight loss and some other contributors to this thread have said. Weight loss is only life-changing if you make it life-changing. It can be an open door to other things but only if you notice that it is in the first place.

I feel like I need to start therapy all over again to deal with my "new" set of issues. :o

I think it's about time for me to make some goals! :D

Goals: (in no particular order)

1. To be life-giving
2. To be comfortable in my own skin
3. To not take on other people's issues
4. To be a ray of sun shine
5. To not fear making mistakes
6. To be emotionally responsible for only myself
7. To be in control of my thoughts
8. To allow myself to be a human being
9. To own all of my desires, even the ones the make me uncomfortable
10. To not live in fear that one day everyone I love will hurt me
11. To forgive my father
12. For my body to feel healthy and strong
13. To believe without a doubt that perfection is a myth
14. To own my sexuality and wield it in any way that I desire
15. To lower the demands that I have of myself and others
16.To be less judgmental
17. To treat my body like a temple
18. To partake in all that life has to offer
19. To acknowledge that fixing everything is not my role in life
20. To not fear new experiences
21. To be nicer
22. To give love more freely
23. To feel the sun on my skin daily
24. To smile more
25. To live a healthy lifestyle
26. To be artistic
27. To find happiness in every single day