Those of you with eating disorders and working in IB as interns or analysts, how is it going? How have your symptoms changed? Has it gotten better or worse and how are you handling it in general?
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I had an ED prior to recruiting for IB; it's gone away, to say the least. I've been so preoccupied and obsessed with getting an offer that idgaf about my eating habits anymore.
I legitimately think the only way to get over something is to become so passionate about something else. That's at least what happened to me.
I was expecting some horror stories, so you can’t imagine how reassuring your comment is 🥹
I don’t want to see that emoji again
I got ED after working in IB....and I don't mean an eating disorder.
Del
Mine got better during my internship, but didn’t go away. Essentially was normal Sunday-Thursday but fridays/Saturday’s still susceptible to it.
Can relate. I imagine WFH has been rough on people with ED. How is it going right now?
In college this year. Starting analyst 1 this summer. Honestly eating disorder (bulimia) has come back during college just like it was junior year. Hoping it lessens/goes away once full time starts.
Wouldn’t count on IB to save you, but I’d say it helps.
Got better as well. You are so freaking busy that you don't have time to think about food, and there's a lot of camaraderie with juniors getting lunch together + ordering dinner together
Don't let yourself say "I'm too busy to eat" though... block yourself an hour to get a real lunch and eat your dinner.
Thanks for comment. I’m on one hand hopeful that the IB schedule will keep me busy and my body distracted from ED, but on the other hand, I remember my past work experiences (not IB ones) and I was so freaking frustrated with food thoughts and urge to just go puke ://///
I'm assuming you're in therapy or have some sort of recovery team - make sure to keep this up in IB... either find someone close to the office and you can slip out for an hour in the afternoon, or if you like your current person do Zoom and book a conference room on a different floor. But you should prioritize staying in touch with your team
It was also helpful for me to use Recovery Record (or a similar app) with my nutrition team. Sometimes you just won't eat that healthy but it is the way it is - and feels like an easier, low pressure way to check in
A follow up question, have you been transparent about ED at the workplace and is it at all recognised as a problem/concern?
No for personal reasons, but it's up to you and work-aged people are much chiller and more understanding than college kids. People won't think you're insane or doing it yourself. If you do better with people reminding you to eat, supporting you etc your analyst class will also likely be very close
Yea man, I drink every Tuesday and its a real bitch.
That’s a drinking disorder, mate. It’s a whole different problem
You guys do know that ED means erectile dysfunction, right?
erectile dysfunction must be feeling a little imposturous :S but in all honesty, didn’t know that; for me it has always been abbv for eating disorder
Leave the Erectile Dysfunction acronym in the past with the boomers that have it. All my ED homies hate the way they look, but have a working penis
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Judging by the number of second year analysts who've put on 30 lbs since starting, I'd say IB is one of the best defenses against an eating disorder.
Whilst ED is mostly known for bulimia and anorexia (subcategories that are typically associated with weight loss but it is not necessarily true), binge eating and stress eating are also forms of ED, so gained weight does not mean those 2nd year analysts don't have ED :)
Binging is also an eating disorder.
I certainly have a kind of eating disorder. I only eat dinner and eat the same thing every day. I only eat after work is done so sometimes in the wee hours of the morning. I see no issue with this.
Hm, it’s not just about what you eat and how often do you eat.
I can’t tell what your situation is, but ED is not just about what you eat and how often do you eat. For example, if you deviate from your routine meals or eating hours, do you feel guilt, shame, urge to exercise, take laxatives, or puke to cancel out the effect? If on weekends, your friends invited you for a dinner, did you not go just because it’s on your eating schedule, but if you did go and had fries, have you cried in the bathroom and again had the urge or actually did any of the above that I listed? If it doesn’t bother you if you deviate from your schedule now and then and it never leads you to stress over it, then you are just having a healthy nutrition (as long as the food you eat is healthy of course) and as all human beings deviate from now and then. ED is the intersection of your eating habits and your mental state, then you try to alleviate this anxiety and stress by taking actions to revert the situation back and then it becomes a habit, but not acting on these actions doesn’t mean you don’t have ED. Basically, if it interferes and makes you feel like a worthless human being if you eat 100 calories more than you planned for or any other restriction you’ve put on yourself - congrats, it’s ED.
Hey there!
I just saw this post so apologies if this comes a bit late. This below is just my personal take, from a non-doctor background. Thus, just take this as discussion item and not anything else.
ED in IB overview:
How it can be tackled with:
But the most important in case of ED in IB - talk to a professional even if it is during an internship which lasts 8 weeks.
Don’t get fooled by some bro thinking EDs are for weak, and don’t put yourself in situations where ED is triggered as long as you haven’t solved it.
Hint: it takes generally longer to solve it, so take care about yourself.
Thank you very much for this guidance - very useful insights. Could you also tell me how likely it is to work out in IB during the weekdays? Thanks!
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