Purge

Welcome back, bulimia monster: the pestering house guest everyone wishes would leave, except no one knows what to do with themselves once it's gone. You grow comfortable with those routines; you learn to accept the schedule; you become skilled in merging aspects of the old life with the intrusion. You know your patterns, habits, triggers. You're constantly jumping at opportunities to cheat and bounce back up with the help of your finger. You don't stop until you feel yourself dry heaving, until your knuckle is scraped raw, until your knees, imprinted with carpet or sliding on the tiles, shake and surrender. But in your head, you are king; in your head, you should keep going because the only thing in the way of your success is your own strength.


For two days, I couldn't not purge. And when I purged, the post-purge disgusting feelings that keep me from eating my next meal were overpowered by the need to shove my hand down my throat. So I kept eating and going back and forth between my room and the kitchen, the bathroom and the grocery store. Last night, I didn't think I would be able to keep that granola bar and apple down, despite every effort to be normal. But I did; I kept it down, and the regret made me feel like puking all over again. The disappointment I felt left me trembling and shuddering...if only I could be this disciplined when it came to restricting. I hope the sudden outburst of purging has ended because that sickness is addicting. Besides, it never puts me at ease because I can't count the calories in the toilet bowl. I don't know why I tried to make myself throw up that first time over a year ago, but whatever compelled me must have been so overpowering because I swore to myself purging would be the one thing I would never attempt. And now that the first time is over and done with, the slope becomes slippery; I find myself wanting to continue.
My throat really suffered this weekend: after purging on Friday and continuing throughout the day, I went out and drank that night. My throat wasn't feeling too horrible, just a little congested. But more purging and a hell of a shot and my throat was on fire. I will never again drink Goldschlager, especially if I had been purging. That thing tastes like 100 melted cinnamon hearts blazing, making a fire trail down your intestines.

I'm still finding life overwhelming. I need to take care of so many things, and I'm just going out or sitting on my bed...but even that is an upgrade. I'm not hating everything and everyone around me as much, and I'm willing to make baby steps. I found so many times this week that my patience was going to run out, especially when I was with my sister -- my family is my trigger, and I wanted so badly to have a fit over multiple little things, but I realized that these problems I have are just that: little. My perception has been skewed for so long, and I'm relatively done with being on the edge of these uncontrollable emotions. I really want to believe that this power is coming from within myself, but I'm scared that I'm just having one of those invincible weeks that come with borderline. I feel this time is different because I'm seeing the flaws within myself and working to control myself instead of just feeling bulletproof. I need to write a letter to receive a grant for school because I messed up last year so badly. I have to explain why this year will be different, why I'm in a better place...I've been putting it off because I never knew how I was going to feel the next day: I wasn't sure if I was actually better and up for this year. But now I know -- more or less, but everyone has doubts. I need to find an apartment, and that's probably the biggest challenge because once I'm all set in the city, I know I will be going to school; there will be no more room for a change in plans.


Isobel, thank you for that comment last month: I'm already feeling happier. I think that burden of having planned my death before this birthday was weighing down on me and making me go crazy. Now that I'm not living day-to-day and making decisions based on that looming date, I feel more free...I'm just hoping this good feeling will continue :).

Sarah, haha you made me smile. Yes to periods. Ya, I know that attitude is crap and I should focus more long-term than short-term, but if you don't feel the burn and the pain in the short-term, you're setting yourself up for failure because you won't be giving it your all. I shouldn't be that harsh though; you're right. Two weeks is really just the starting point :).