Throughout my adolescence, my estig disorder meant I had no testosterone, and it went unnoticed by all medical professionals.

But what does this mean, and what has it caused? A 🧵... (1/)

(This thread will talk about a lot of "taboo" topics, I make no apologies) I started puberty relatively early, age about 10 years old. I went through a major growth spurt at a similar time and all was completely normal in that sense... so I can say for certain there wasn't anything else causing my development issues... (2/)

“Why don’t you do some hobbies after work in your spare time?”

Here’s an example of a working day, please try to find the “spare time”… 🧵 1. 05:00: wake up.

2. 05:00-07:15: Getting myself hydrated, massaging stomach, doing some low impact exercises to get my body going ready for irrigation.

3. 07:15-08:45: Irrigation. This includes getting things ready, irrigating, waiting for it to finish, then cleaning up.

Been thinking long and hard about how to word this and what to say about it, as its such a raw subject for so many... but these are my thoughts on "Terminal Anorexia" based on personal experiences... 🧵 (1/) Firstly, to address the diagnosis of "Terminal AN"... I think it is a load of rubbish and doesn't actually exist how they say it does.
And I think it's more being looked at as an excuse to deny care or give up on people who could be helped (2/)

Almost exactly 5 years after my operation… What it’s like for me to live with a colostomy… a 🧵 1. It takes a lot of management.

From the 2-3 hours each morning to irrigate (including preparing and recovering), the 1/2 hours each day to help things move and work, or the careful management of food and fluids… it’s a lot in terms of time and energy.

Eating disorders in men… my personal perspective and experience… 🧵 1. It’s not just about muscle dysmorphia.
A common theme seems to be showing men in gyms, talking about muscles and having muscle dysmorphia.
Whilst this may be true for some, it’s definitely not all.

The appalling abuse of patients in mental health hospitals is a disgusting symptom of a society that still views people with mental illnesses as subhuman.
All this “talk about mental health” stuff is great, but as soon as someone is really sick, they’re isolated and dehumanised. So if anyone dare say that there is no stigma, or that we talk “too much” about it… we don’t. We don’t talk enough about mental illness and we still have so far to go.

This isn’t labels being stigmatised - it’s vulnerable people being treated in ways that no human should ever…

Some practical ways to help people with eating disorders in the workplace, schools and wider society, a thread 🧵… 1. Educate yourself about eating disorders.

Eating disorders are not just anorexia, and not just people who are underweight. They are hugely diverse illnesses and much more common than many seem to believe.

Thread 🧵:

It’s pretty much exactly 14 years since my eating disorder started (at least outwardly).
In that time my family has consistently been let down, help has been denied on more than 30 occasions, and even after hospitalisation they offered nothing… In that time my eating disorder has caused permanent bowel damage, stunted growth, no hormones for 5 years through adolescence, 5 operations, major joint issues, chronic dehydration and about half my life lost to an illness…

The parts of my disability that people don’t see, but are some of the most debilitating, 🧵… 1. The morning routine.

This is 2-3 hours *every* morning, no matter how I’m feeling or what time I have to go out that day. It means waking up 3 hours before I have to do anything, and there are no exceptions to that.

How being undiagnosed Autistic & ADHD affected me in school, a 🧵… 1. “Comfort zone”
All the way through primary school I was in a comfort zone. With people I knew, in a school I knew and it was very familiar.
Moving to secondary school, I was taken out of that. And immediately my eating disorder started. Coincidence?

We often hear about the physical risks of eating disorders, but what about how it affects our life in other ways? A 🧵… 1. Social life.
Eating disorders can be hugely isolating. A lot of social events revolve around food and/or drink which can be almost impossible for someone with an ED to manage.
EDs can also be routine-orientated, meaning even if it’s not food-related, it can still be difficult.