The Advice Column IV

693

Advice Request
This person is having a hard time eating and sleeping lately.

Answered Submission
Hey!

You’re currently going through a lot and that’s very stressful. I hope you can get better but you need to understand that eating disorders are not easily diagnosable, especially through self-diagnosis. So, I would highly recommend going to a therapist or psychiatrist before it’s too late. Actually, I would suggest going immediately since you feel like you have a mental disorder. A therapy session could help you clarify your feelings and what’s been going on.

A simple recommendation would be to always keep your phone with you and have 2-3 alarms set for your breakfast, lunch and dinner. Snack time is optional but I think you could eat snacks in the beginning since you’ve been forgetting meals for a while now. You could also ask your family members and friends to eat with you and have them remind you.

Other than that, for your insomnia, I would suggest you to drink chamomile tea or something hot like warm milk before going to bed. It might help if you have someone sleeping besides you. No matter what your age, ask your sibling or parents or friend to sleep besides you for a night. See if that helps you sleep faster and better. Exhausting your body and mind before sleep could be a good way to get some sleep. I hate exercising but if it helps me sleep, I would do some light stretches. I suggest you do the same. Do your homework or office work to exhaust your mind, then some stretches to exhaust your body and go to sleep. A hot shower before bedtime could help relax as well, so I suggest trying that too.

Your subconscious mind is a strong and powerful thing, convince it that you can go to sleep soon and I’m sure you’ll be able to sleep. However, my first recommendation remains the same: please go to a psychiatrist and get a checkup first. I wouldn’t recommend getting medicines or pills since you’re aware of your problems and can work on them by yourself and through therapy. However, medicinal drugs are for later therapy. First thing to do is get a diagnosis.

Good luck! I hope it gets better and easier for you. Please stay safe.

Thank you,
The Advice Column Team