ABSTRACT
The majority of women were exposed to fear tactics and threats about diabetes complications while active in their eating disorder. They felt that by discussing and acknowledging this core problem, people would feel better understood, not alone and ashamed, and perhaps build motivation to seek a way out for themselves. They shared their inside knowledge of how hard it is to feel motivated to try to avoid diabetes complications that may only happen a long time into the future. Each woman spoke openly about how recovery seemed out of reach to them prior to actually working toward it. Most had felt it would be impossible and acknowledged that this feeling would likely be shared by those who were still caught in the cycle. Perfectionism and all-or-nothing thinking is characteristic of an eating disorder mindset. In keeping with this, patients often believe they must change and improve everything in their diabetes management at once, or their efforts will have no value.
