108. Diabulimia: The Intersection of Diabetes and Eating Disorders with Erin Akers

Reclaim Your Rise: Type 1 Diabetes with Lauren Bongiorno

The Jocelyn Diabetes Center suggests that 30% of diabetic women between the ages of 15 and 30 manipulate or omit their insulin in order to lose weight. For Eating Disorder Awareness Week, I want to talk about the lesser known yet devastating eating disorder. Today’s incredible guest is the founder and executive director of Diabulimia. Helpline (DBH), Erin Akers. Erin shares the heart-wrenching story of how she flatlined and was resuscitated after her diabulimia put her in the hospital. This episode is raw and real, but also a necessary conversation to shed light on the T1D tendency towards perfectionism and a disordered relationship to food.

Time Stamps:

• (06:25) The Recovery-Relapse Cycle
• (07:14) January 2012: The Fall
• (08:25) The Fear of Being Found Out
• (09:25) The Time Erin Flat-lined
• (10:22) A Mother’s Cry: A Call To Change
• (12:28) Why the Second Time Was Harder to Ask For Help
• (14:30) Her Diagnosis Journey
• (16:40) When the Body Image Issues Began as a childt 9
• (19:10) Comparison to Her Brother’s Diabetesic Journey
• (22:00) Giving Up on Being a “Good Diabetic” at 14
• (22:48) The Descent: Figuring Out How She Could Lose Weight
• (25:40) Feeding the Hungry Heart: Our Relationship to Food
• (26:40) Perfectionist Tendencies and Grace
• (32:57) Context Collapse
• (35:58) The Unique Pathology of Diabulimia
• (37:54) The 2 Things
• (38:53) What Recovery Looks Like
• (39:55) Relationship to the Number
• (40:55) A Perfectionist Exercise
• (42:10) Journaling to Heal
• (46:38) Recovery is Not Passive: You Have To Do the Work
• (47:45) Diabulimia An Ignored Population
• (49:41) Community
• (52:35) The Helpline
• (53:23) Why We Can’t Afford to NOT Talk About Diabuleima
• (57:12) Erin’s Lifelong Complications
• (59:01) Happy Recovery Stories
• (01:02:25) Getting Your Dreams, Belief, and Hope Back

What to do now:
1. To Call the FREE Diabuleima Helpline: 1-425-985-3635
2. DBH Links:

INSTAGRAM: www.instagram.com/diabulimiahelpline/

DBH WEBSITE: www.DBH.org

DIABETES & EATING DISORDER FB SUPPORT GROUP: https://www.facebook.com/groups/DiabulimiaSupport
3. Follow me @lauren_bongiorno and @riselyhealth on Instagram to stay in the loop for when new episodes drop.
4. Learn more about our coaching programs HERE.

Disclaimer: Nothing you hear on the Reclaim your Rise podcast should be a substitute for personalized professional medical advice. Please always consult your physician or other medical professional before making any changes to your diet, insulin dosages, or healthcare plan.