Could You Be Making Up Your Eating Disorder?

I get questions like this each and every day. Kati, could I have made up my depression? Anxiety? Maybe I am just faking my panic attacks? Am I just self injuring for attention? Making up my pain? And this question.. Could I have made up my ED? Now the truth is, yes we can do certain things for attention. We could self injure once hoping we get caught, or act like we are struggling with some eating disorder behavior hoping that someone will notice and want to help. And sure in a way because our eating disorder or self injury urges are coping skills, our brain did make them up… as a way to cope. But none of those things make our pain or upset any less or our struggle any less valid.
When we use our eating disorder we are doing that to cope with something else going on. Something much more difficult, something maybe we can’t really talk about or even recognize yet. So our eating disorder isn’t really what our issue is.. It’s just hiding it.
But to really answer this question, no you didn’t make up your ED. Everyone would agree that having an eating disorder is the worst.. It makes us feel terrible about ourselves and who we are, we can’t ever be sick enough, it makes us feel so sick and full sometimes, and we could even find ourselves competing with someone else for no prize at all.

I'm Kati Morton, a licensed therapist making Mental Health videos!
#katimorton #therapist #therapy

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If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, please call a local emergency telephone number or go immediately to the nearest emergency room.

[rubynunez]

A lot of people who have an eating disorder and think they’re faking it feel like they aren’t “sick” enough to get help. Meaning they’re not underweight and they don’t look like they’re dying. This is something that I have struggled for years.

[bunnyonrings]

I'll be honest, I was really nervous to click on this one. It's one of those things that's always the back of my head because I don't "look" like I struggle with it. I know people that have had much more dramatic experiences through rehab, etc. But this made me feel better and valid with my personal recovery and not like I'm an attention grabbing liar.

[sadiegirl]

Oh, YES ED"s are so competitive. I hate that!! Thank you, Kati

[bronwyn]

The way you use the phrases "we" "our". It's comforting to hear over "you"

[ckrwgn]

Thank you for this. I always feel like I'm being "dramatic" about my ed.

[SurvivorRevive]

I'm so glad you did this video. This can apply to so many things that we do to cope that other people can see as "trying to get attention." Before I got to a healthier place, I did so many bad things to cope - drugs, alcohol, eating disorders and self-harm. No one wanted to hear why. It was always just "get over it" and "stop seeking attention". Thank you thank you from the bottom of my heart for getting this message out. It needs to be heard.

[chihuahuabently]

I've been looking for someone who sees stuff from this perspective. I can't count how many times friends, family, others and even professionals told me I'm ' faking it' or 'attention seeking'. We need more Kati Mortons in this world 😂

[Sunflower-mqlr]

Kati, you're a light in this world. Thanks you so much

[emily-rosemarkovic]

Kati I absolutely love every one of your videos. As a teen who's spent the last year in an inpatient facility, I find your way of talking really soothing (?) in that you don't make everything super clinical and scary. The way you approach problems that tons of people have without harshness but with a huge amount of genuine understanding and compassion is sorta liberating because you're validating everything that people hate with regards to themselves. I started watching your videos a year ago, when I was hiding the fact that I was clinically depressed and self harming, and I still have the same comfort when I come onto your channel. Huge amount of gratefulness and support from over here. -Emily

ps my psychologist and psychiatrist both love you as well

[rea]

I was hanging out with teenagers and half of the girls were on some kind of a very restrictive diet and I totally get it. We are (especially women) constantly judged on our appearance and even pretending you have an eating disorder can make you look "cool" in the company of other girls who are restricting their calories.

[zrae]

I literally JUST started therapy for my eating disorder and anxiety and just talked to my therapist about this 2 hours ago! Thank you for this video. Your channel is so valuable for those who can't afford therapy. I'm so upset that it can't be monetized. Thank you Kati for sharing these videos.

[arq.margotcueto]

You Katie are so full of compassion and understanding, you heal with your heart, you may have no idea yet how much Good you are doing through this videos, God bless you.

[abbyposthumus]

Idk why anyone would want to make up that they have an eating disorder... Like the f.... Having an ed is not fun nor cute and very stressful

[eviekvisberglien]

I truly and deeply, admire your kindness ❤️ You never shame and you’re always sooo gentle when talking about these things. Thank you for that 😊 I struggle a lot with the thoughts that I’m making this up, I’m not sick enough, thin enough and that I eat too much to have an ED....you soothe my mind and make some of these thoughts less troublesome ❤️❤️❤️

[rachelheflin]

Thank u kati. I needed this the most. Me and my therapist was just talking about this yesterday. I am writing in my journal right now. It brought me to tears because everything you were talking about is what I went through as a kid. Really touched on some sensitive stuff. Thank u.

[marlonmalave]

Kati you would make a podcast about all of this stuff!! it would be awesome to hear while flying, driving long distances, or even eating. keep it up 🥰

[vfnxjcjcujenxncjdzx]

Instant subscribe, I had never thought about people doing things "for attention" in that way.
That need for attention or whatever it is, is itself an issue that needs to be addressed.
Really changed the way I think about a tons of people I've known who've I've thought of as attention seekers. Thanks.

[Karen-vlvf]

This. This is perfect. I started SI when I was 13, and got shamed because everyone else told me I was only doing it for attention. That was honestly worse than the SI itself. It's validating to hear someone with sense on these issues.

[purpleperson]

Thank you, I’m so glad I found this video, I’m only 13 and this really helped me start to understand why I would self harm and sometimes would inconsistently starve myself and/or purge. I didn’t feel like I was doing it for any real reason besides attention and didn’t realize what a problem it was until recently. I’ve started talking to my parents about it, and I’ll be starting therapy soon, and I’m really glad I’m starting to find the reason why I do and feel these sort of things. Thank you so much Kati.

[anitaa.]

Why aren’t this videos monetizable ? Really I have no idea