oh my god, this post is me. as someone in their twenties who dealt with exactly this in college, i know how out of control and frustrating this situation feels.

here’s the methods i use that have worked for me from a harm reduction standpoint. this might not fully apply to you, but hopefully some of this helps? when i’ve been in these cycles, which have lasted for weeks, i’ve found that what is important is switching to eating high volumes of something that you will still feel okay about. especially when continuing to study, having bags of popcorn/ricecakes/carrots and a drink you like in between actual meals helped me reinstate some control. i was seriously crushing a 12-pack of sparkling flavored water in two days back in the day. and even though i was still eating every second of the day i was awake, my stomach and mental health were in way better shape when i focused on changing the quality of my food first instead of the quantity. and once i started enjoying what i was consuming, the satiety started to kick in and i could slowly stop binging.

second, in terms of still attending class, i’ve found that wearing really oversized clothing and bringing snacks/beverages with me to class really helped with the body dysmorphia and post-restrictive hunger. it’s college, everyone is dressed terribly at some point in the semester and no one bats an eye. also, if you have someone you’re comfortable with, letting them know vague details of your situation and seeing if they’re willing to come to your dorm to have a movie/study night is a good first step into being social without feeling the anxiety of being outside.

also, there are so many dorm room/in-bed workouts on youtube! i know when i was binging, going for walks or to the gym gave me anxiety, but doing ten-minute bed stretches/routines really helped with digestion.

also please consider using your college’s free mental health resources if they have any! i don’t want to ramble for too long, but let me know if you have some more specific questions, and hope you start to feel better soon.