How Far Into my Eating Disorder Will I Lose my Period

Sometimes, when a girl develops an Eating Disorder, her menstrual cycle will eventually become impacted. Being aware of any loss or irregularity of my clients’ periods are important. It is a huge hint that something is not working correctly, the person is not being properly nourished and that she needs to get a medical check-up. This loss of your period is medically referred to as Amenhorrea

It is important to note that not everyone ends up losing their period. Take 3 equally sick people, if they were engaging in the same behaviors and were the same height and weight, it is very possible that;

• 1 may lose their period entirely
• 1 may start having irregular periods and;
• 1 may never lose it.

This is not to say that one is sicker than the other. All it says is that our bodies are so different and the way our periods stop or become irregular are as unique as our menstrual cycle itself. Look at it this way, a group of healthy girls may have periods that vary greatly and this is normal. One may have it longer, another has a heavier flow and another may experience cramps while another has headaches and another experiences no symptoms.

Back to the question I posed in the title, there is no single answer for this. I have seen women lose their period a month into their Eating Disorder and some who lose it after a year and others who never have their cycle interrupted.
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Your menstrual cycle and any interruptions to it is an important part of the puzzle...emphasis on the word “PART.” It does not tell the whole picture, it is merely something we can use to help gage your disorder and what treatment may be necessary.

With all that said, I would highly recommend you to track your period to make sure that you can identify if there are any irregularities or other symptoms that is important to be aware of. Bring any findings to your doctor’s attention.

If your cycle has never been interrupted, do not take this as a safety net. Just because you are getting your period doesn’t mean that you aren’t sick enough and that you don’t need help.

I hope you found this post helpful! If you know anyone else who could benefit from reading this, please share with them. If you have any questions, concerns or requests for future posts, please leave a comment or message me privately.

I wish you wellness on your journey to finding your State of Balance!

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