I'm not at a low BMI, but I've rapidly lost a lot of weight and I was undereating by a lot, and I suspect that this (alongside with developing an eating disorder in general) has contributed to my very subclinical-level OCD features reaching a clinically significant, life impairing level. Prior to my ED I didn't even bring those symptoms up with my psychiatrists or therapists over the years, because they didn't use to impact me too much and I had "bigger issues" to discuss, whereas now, alongside the ED diagnosis, I have received an OCD one as well and even got started on some meds for it.

I have noticed that the OCD symptoms, in my case, were the strongest when I was eating the least and are somewhat more manageable now that I eat more, but there are also several different factors that could be responsible for that instead, so I can't really tell. I do however recall that when I was looking at some articles on OCD & ED comorbidity I've seen something about malnutrition possibly worsening OCD traits, so there's that.

Additionally, I've noticed that the months in which I eat the least feel like the longest time, while the ones in which I eat even slightly more feel so fast and just overall more pleasurable.

I am also a way better employee when I eat more — the quality of both my intellectual and social labour skyrockets, and I am just straight up more emotionally equipped to deal with stuff, which all matters a whole lot considering that I'm a teacher.

 

I'm not at a low BMI, but I've rapidly lost a lot of weight and I was undereating by a lot, and I suspect that this (alongside with developing an eating disorder in general) has contributed to my very subclinical-level OCD features reaching a clinically significant, life impairing level. Prior to my ED I didn't even bring those symptoms up with my psychiatrists or therapists over the years, because they didn't use to impact me too much and I had "bigger issues" to discuss, whereas now, alongside the ED diagnosis, I have received an OCD one as well and even got started on some meds for it.

I have noticed that the OCD symptoms, in my case, were the strongest when I was eating the least and are somewhat more manageable now that I eat more, but there are also several different factors that could be responsible for that instead, so I can't really tell. I do however recall that when I was looking at some articles on OCD & ED comorbidity I've seen something about malnutrition possibly worsening OCD traits, so there's that.

Additionally, I've noticed that the months in which I eat the least feel like the longest time, while the ones in which I eat even slightly more feel so fast and just overall more pleasurable.

I am also a way better employee when I eat more — the quality of both my intellectual and social labour skyrockets, and I am just straight up more emotionally equipped to deal with stuff, which all matters a whole lot considering that I'm a teacher.

Exactly ! I feel the same and therefore think maybe 1200 would do more good than harm also for the body aches

 

In my case, when I go down that low the OCD gets worse. I tend to do shit tons more rituals and most of the time the fear of going outside gets out of control.

 

oh yeah 100%. my mental function declined drastically.

 

I've had OCD even before AN and all I can say is that my OCD symptoms tend to get worse the more weight I lose. Not only food-related compulsions, but in general

 

Yes 1000%. I have OCD, the severity definitely increases and my functioning becomes more and more impaired the more weight I lose. Got to a point this past spring where it was difficult for me to do much of anything, everything-fucking-thing became an elaborate, neurotic nonsense-ritual.

 

Yes, the lower I’ve gotten the more rigid Ive Become

 

I've never gotten to a particularly low BMI by this place's standards, but when I'm low restricting or purging the majority of what I eat my OCD tendencies go through the fucking roof. It seems like it correlates with overall malnutrition rather than body weight, for me- I'm currently at a BMI of 21ish but not doing well at all and every waking moment is a hellscape of obsessive thought loops and delusion-driven food rituals. Which I know would improve if I ate and slept consistently. But I can't. Because of convoluted reasons that make absolutely no sense to anyone but me.

So yeah, brain don't work if you don't feed it.

 

Yes. The longer I've been sick with an ED, the worse my OCD, depression, and anxiety became.

 

For me, I’ve noticed increased panic, restlessness, and a general sense of fear about life. I’ve also observed that phobias can develop, impulsivity can increase, and OCD-type behaviors or intrusive thoughts seem stronger.

When I was at this BMI range (eating 1900-1600 calories a day - slowly decreasing as my weight & activity was getting lower) I had exactly the same symptoms as you described, minus the impulsivity maybe. Panic attacks were the worst. This state lasted for about a year, now that I'm at high 11s it's all gone, i.e. my mind is at peace (I wonder whether I can call this an improvement though or if the brain just stopped acting up b/c of the starvation), and my cognitive skills are worse than ever (short attention span, can't read for too long, can't do too much talking, I'm scared of going out because I might just trip over or get hit by a scooter as a result of my poor reflex combined w/ musle wastage & general weakness). My current intake is about 1250 calories daily and I'm mostly sedentary.

 

Thank you so so much ! I try to increase to 1200-1300 calories a day and am so scared to gain with it.. But realistically it is not very likely I guess. Just the stupid brain

 

Absolutely - my anxiety attacks, and paranoia have exponentially worsened the longer I remain at a low weight. I've been 13 or under for years, but I feel like getting into the 11s, my social ability, already seriously limited as a result of my being autistic, was killed and buried by the fact that I refuse to leave the house unless I judge myself to look "alright", I usually start to care less when I'm in a place I am comfortable, but if I feel fat and I go to the grocery store, I'm likely to start crying. I also can sometimes feel that others can read my mind and my thoughts and have intrusive thoughts about if that happens. That is a relatively new development that only happens when I am in a low place with my disorder.

I didn't have many friends before, but I certainly don't have any now. No one likes to be around me, and no one reaches out to me to talk to me ever, so I've given up. Maybe it's that i'm 21 and people my age are a tough crowd and I am an 'acquired taste' at a school with a heavy party culture, maybe I'm a miserable anorexic, both emotionally mercurial and too serious for my own good. Likely both.

 

Hi everyone,



I’m wondering if anyone else has noticed that at a very low BMI (around 12–13), the longer it persists, the more it seems to affect cognitive abilities. For me, I’ve noticed increased panic, restlessness, and a general sense of fear about life. I’ve also observed that phobias can develop, impulsivity can increase, and OCD-type behaviors or intrusive thoughts seem stronger.



Has anyone else experienced anything similar? I’m curious about whether these kinds of mental and cognitive changes are common with prolonged extreme low weight.
I am currently eating 950 calories and would love to increase without gaining but I truly don‘t even know anymore if you can maintain that bmi with 1200 calories while being active.. just confusing


Thanks in advance for sharing your experiences.

I also feel like I only burn that much and would love to increase, but am so paranoid about gaining. I saw a thing about metabolic adaptation and I feel like I'm going to be stuck eating nothing forever because i REFUSE to gain, and am already terrified of food weight.

 

Feel like you are my brain lol. It is so frustrating to me how we „know“ things but can‘t process them and rationalize them. Like I managed to eat more the last two days and feel way better, but also way fatter which is so stupid ugh