But obviously, with EDs many of those things are more food-centered, some more harmful than others. Some are just habits that can be broken when necessary, while others are unhealthy "laws."
One thing for me is that I find have sort of a meal ritual, always eating foods in the same sequence, having fruits cut into a certain number of pieces, etc. I used to eat the same food every single day, with only one acceptable breakfast, one lunch, one dinner to choose from. Thank god I left that stage years ago, boooring!
I hadn't really realized it until I moved back in with my parents, but eating out of the my standard bowls and plates is apparently a habit I didn't know I had, until I was back in their environment instead of among my own things. Note that this is NOT a mega anxiety issue, I function just fine when I'm away from my personal Pfaltzgraff, it's just something that I notice enough to, well, notice. Plus, our dishes are similar enough that it wasn't all that significant.
So I'd adjusted to the dishes here and established my standard bowls, cups, etc....and when I came home from last weekend's trip, they'd bought entirely new kitchenware! Out with the old dishes, because my mom was tired of them after 10 or so years, and in with an entirely new kind. We used to have nice round plates and now there are these thing, super-modern looking square ones. None of the bowls are exactly the same size as the ones we had previously. The coffee cups don't have handles. The food does not arrange the same way on these things!
I'm not sure what the point of this post is, except to mention kind of a funny issue that I suspect people might be able to relate to. This overhaul in dishes has NOT affected my eating or caused real anxiety, I must reiterate, it's just *weird*. I know such reactions are not restricted to people with EDs. I guess I just wanted to invite people to comment: do you have a similar issue with plates, do you have standard or special dishes you prefer to use, what's special about them, does it take you a while to get used to new items like dishes or kitchenware?
Seems like a silly issue when I write it out like this, but I had an inkling I wasn't the only one that becomes easily set in my ways...
9 comments:
I used to take great comfort in the plate at my grandparents' house that just a little chip on the rim.
I don't like big forks or spoons. That's been a "thing" of mine as long as I can remember. If given the chance, I'll always take the smaller.
i like smaller plates. and small forks and spoons too. i liked small spoons for soup, etc., even before ED.
i'm lazy, so i often eat off paper plates.
but overall, i do like small bowls, plates, etc. that's ED
I'm cool with adjusting to new environments... But given that new environment I establish "routines" specific for that place. My favorite bowl, plate, water glass, spot for that water glass on the counter, etc.
I still have a thing about food in the "right" order. Vegetables first.
I was just thinking of writing a post about the same thing. I have one teaspoon and one smaal bowl I feel comfortable with. Yesterday my mum replace the bowl with another one because whe thought it was too small. I became a bit anxious. but fortuately I could just replace the bowl with mine.
I've never struggled with an ED, but I still have particular dishware that I like to use. I also prefer smaller forks/spoons, and I have a few plates and bowls that I prefer to use. I have a penguin plate and matching bowl that I really like, and also these super cute paperchase ones that have smiling pieces of food.
I don't feel anxious or anything if I *cant* use them, but I will go out of my way to use them, even if they are underneath other items or (clean) in the dishwasher.
omg...i have OCD that is very well controlled right now but has previously been quite out of hand. i still have compulsions but don't believe the 'why' my head tells me about it (my food will taste bad or have more calories if i don't eat it with 'my' fork. 'my' cuterly is contaminated if it touches a particulat style of silverwear in the drawer, etc). i still have 'rules' but if i break 'em or, god forbid, forget, get distracted etc, i'm ok and can keep going with my meal.
however, my parent's also just revamped all their dishes, the 'fancy' set and the plain old BUT they kept a few small things for me that they know i like to use. it was really touching. they know i'm capable of adapting now after a few days but i think to help ease the transition they did it for me.
habits vs rules is sometimes a very fine line. compulsions vs habits vs preferance...omg, the line basically becomes invisable! :P
so yeah, long story long, i hear ya. :)
Um....Yes!
You should have been there in my treatment center where the topic one day was "do any of you have eating disorder utensils?" Well...we ALL did. Sizes of forks and stuff, always having to eat out of a mug....ALL kinds of stuff. I had the same moment you did when I realized all my "quirks" with what I eat from.
It seems to be such an insignificant part of the Eating Disorder when you are in the thick of it...but once you begin recovery and stop using a lot of behaviors it seems like we keep finding new ones, right?
~Missy
This is one area I am still VERY symptomatic about. I use small plates and small utensils and have one mug that I drink out of. It's sad, in a way, because I have a whole kitchen full of plates and bowls and flatware and use only like 10% of it.
I have mixed feeling about this. On one hand I know it is totally ED behavior and that I need to stop. However, on the other hand, I also know that I'm healthier now than I've ever been in my adult life, so changing the plates and utensils I eat off of just isn't a high priority item.
I can certainly relate to this! I always eat my breakfast cereal out of the same mug, and I still get very anxious when I go home/stay with my boyfriend and find myself having to use a different mug. I also have a specific spoon which I always like to eat breakfast with.
Weirdly, I don't have nearly such strong feelings about crockery for my other meals/snacks. I like big mugs for my tea and I hate overlarge dinner plates, but in general I'll use pretty much whatever's clean.
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