Introduction * What are eating disorders? * The link between autism and eating disorders * Types of eating disorders related to autism * Treatment options * Conclusion Introduction Welcome, everyone. Today, we're going to be discussing a very important topic that affects many individuals with autism: eating disorders. While eating disorders are often associated with other mental health conditions, such as depression and anxiety, they can also be a unique challenge for those on the autism spectrum. It's important to talk about this issue because it's not well understood by many people, includi ..read more

Many individuals who have experienced an eating disorder, myself included, may have encountered the distressing situation of needing to gain weight. To onlookers, this seems like a sought after dream - food with no restrictions with endless supplies of chocolate, cakes, donuts and sweets in sight. But for the person recovering, weight gain can feel such a scary prospect. The idea of eating more and looking different seems like jumping off a cliff with a bottomless pit. There is also the nerve wracking fear that gaining weight will prevent you from being ‘worthy’ of support, and also feeling l ..read more

There are dark holes in what make us whole. The gaping gaps we dread to face and feel. The holes we wish to bury, Hoping that they’re no longer real Abandoned among eternal darkness in fear, We mourn the missing, the hurt the pains, the gone. But just because our dark holes exist, Doesn’t mean we aren’t still ‘one’ As ‘one’ we tread through treacherous and uncontrollable grounds, Sometimes falling down the rabbit hole. But making our way out, despite strongest doubts Is part of what seeks to make us whole. To seek the light, we must embrace the dark And sit through all the mist, the mud and m ..read more

There is divine beauty through the stillness There is meaning to old pains There is truth and wonderment in everything we have and do, So we realise life can be reclaimed. The men and women here before us, Knew the ancient wisdom of these grounds Knew how to feel, and truly heal, The stagnant energy within our wounds. The time is now to come back to all you’ve ‘known’, To the roots of everything that always was and is, Honouring ourselves up in vulnerability, Because our bodies are no longer ‘Hers’ nor’ His’. As the wounded walk, life’s roads come to a fork, Where we realise each path contain ..read more

I have dwelled in a body, so small it could break, Mind numbingly cold, perhaps not awake? Lost in a bubble, the passing world but a blur Seemingly safe, and yet fickle, without connection or care. Hiding in the darkness of starvation, so the world might perceive, this woman who feels unprepared to grow up, So scared so naive... Of a world that feels unforgiving and viciously cruel While unaccepted, alone, unknown, appearing a fool. Building baracades within the diminishing shell that grows hollow within, No emotion, no laughter, only guilt and the drive to be thin. Not out of vanity or atten ..read more

Restrictive forms of eating disorders are often associated with individuals being obsessed with pounding away on the treadmill at the gym, running for miles around a park, or ritualistically participating in workout routines from You Tube and Instagram… whether that be weight lifting, press-ups or star jumps. According to the common myths surrounding eating disorders, this that involve issues around exercise can be easily spotted within the realms of aerobics classes, personal training groups, Interval training squads, and other obvious arenas associated with burning calories and shredding fa ..read more

Pardon me for being rude, but who the heck gave anyone permission to judge our food? I once ate chocolate, chips and cake with guiltless glee But now it seems everyone is lactose averse and gluten free Gone are the days when food could be of pure pleasure Now its simply about how much you can skip, skimp, weigh and measure From Calories, Carbs, Protein and our long term friend fat Several worshipped idols proclaim how to eat this but not that Then theres 100 Calorie snacks, meal replacement shakes and bars stuffed with not much other than dates. You may think I’m nuts, but they’re not to ever ..read more

There was Once upon a Time, and there will be Another Time. There once was a time where I could allow myself to be happy and nourish myself well without a second thought or a tinge of remorse. A Time when I actively sought out ways to nurture myself rather than seek ways to restrict, punish, regiment, control, count, and self-sabotage. As I spend time weighing out my plain porridge oats and almond milk, I think fondly of a time when I didn’t worry about control and how what I place in my mouth will influence subsequent feelings of guilt, negative self-comparison and dwindling self worth. Inst ..read more

“Don’t you look well!” That it would seem. A gleaming picture of health and wellbeing But thats news to me, its not what I feel What you see is a mask of what I conceal. I feel low life, disgusting, worthless, impure. The infection inside is too viciously cruel to ever be cured. You’ve seen me smile and flaunt a so called ‘healthy body’. For you that symbolises success But you’ve not witnessed the untouchable scars, that are nothing less than a chaotic mess Just because I eat, and I work, and I play, Doesn't mean all my demons have been vanquished away. You view my exterior as a marker of how ..read more

As you set out upon the endurance testing road of recovery, you may begin to notice that not all is what is seems. Or, more interestingly, you are not what you have seemed. Of course these vague questions could mean anything, but I’m specifically referring to what it feels like to be living with an identity that has been moulded out of mental illness rather than the real you underneath. Beyond the eating disorder, there may be a person who is at odds with the one you live with day to day - the one that feels at the mercy of every command an eating disorder that has manipulated you at the expe ..read more