Anorexia in Men

The weather was shocking last nightSo instead of heading in to town to NAI decided to head to one of the villages near me to AAMy sister was going tooSo I called in to get on the wayAnd we both headed over
For some reason I get a lot more nervous at AA meetings Maybe because they tend to be a lot biggerWe arrived My sister made teaAnd I took a seat in one of the comfortable arm chairsWe chatted for a few minutes And then the meeting started Just then someone came inAnd took a seat across from meI recognised the personA guy But I couldn't tell where I knew him fromOr howThe first thing I noticed was that he was very slimThen when he sat downHe took out a packet of sweetsAnd seemed very absorbed in themAs the meeting went onI glanced over at him a couple of times I knew him from somewhereI just couldn't figure out whereHe was young Maybe younger than meDressed in jeans and trainersOne leg crossed over the other He really was very slimI had my suspicions 
After the preamble was read outThe meeting beganThis particular guy was the first to speakWhen he introduced himselfI knew straight away who he wasHe was a guy I used to knowA long time ago He went to NA at the same time I didHe looked the same Yet he looked a lot different 
The meeting went onI spoke a little bitIt was over before I knew itAfterwards we all had teaAnd this guy came over to talk to meHe remembered me tooI told him that he looked differentHe said henchman lost a lot of weight That he had been very sickAnd they did lots of testsBut they couldn't find anything wrong with himAnd that it was psychologicalThis sounded very familiarAs this is pretty much exactly how my story started out He continued to speakHe mention Weight Numbers ExerciseI could relate to everything He was speaking at a terrific rateWords poured out of him like waterAnd I was finding it hard to keep upEventually I told him how much I could identifyI said I didn't know if it was the same thingBut I had anorexia/bulimia And it was every bit as serious as my addiction
He did not exactly say the words'I have an eating disorder'But he pretty much described the text book ED typeHe talked about having four sets of scalesRunningTrying to get below certain weightsTypical behaviours of someone with an EDHe explained how it was very difficult to talk about it As men don't talk about that kind of thing
We went outsideHe smoked and talkedI listened The words continued to fall out of his mouthHe is obviously  in a bad placeAnd doesn't have his addiction fully under control eitherWe drank our teaAnd got ready to leave I took the guys number And he asked me to text himI said I would
I think this is the first time I've ever spoken to a male with an EDMaybe I have in the past unknowinglyBut this guy is the firstI really felt for himI guess this illness is mainly thought of as a female illnessMaybe this is why he's telling people that he's been illAs it's easier than telling the truth He was on my mind all last nightI just kept thinking how much he had to deal with And how life is so cruelAnd how could I help himBut I need to be careful when I start thinking like thatAs I start thinking I can save the worldAnd get way ahead of myselfIt's not my place to help this guyI need to help myself firstI had to remind myself that I am in the same boat as this guyI am the one that needs to accept the help right nowNot give it out
I guess last night was a reminder that men suffer from this illness tooAlbeit it's a lot rarer in men But we musn't forget them
In other news I am doing goodMy new teeth are amazingAnd I am going around grinning like a Cheshire CatI am getting on average one meeting a day And it is doing me the power of goodTo anyone that is struggling out there todayHang on in thereJust keep hanging onAs my sponsor used to say to meDon't quit five minutes before the miracle