I'm sorry, I have to clarify something here.

Whilst I accept what you say about ED's being psychiatric diseases.... the reasons for them starting are many. And for some people they start as a form of self-harm. This was, I believe, part of the reasoning behind comments/questions that were posed in this thread.

I speak from personal experience here. I have a twin sister. We have both been warned that we are in danger of developing an eating disorder because of our erratic eating habits, and these are directly linked with our self injury.

And to clarify, the person who warned me was my psychiatrist.

For me, when I'm struggling, one of the ways that I seek to 'hurt' myself is by not eating. I know this. My sister knows this from her experience. My psychiatrist knows this.

I do not have an eating disorder. I have never been diagnosed with an eating disorder. But I have been warned that if I'm not 'careful' I could develop one.

That is not my desire or intention. I do know, however, know that self-neglect is, in a way, another method of hurting ourselves. Maybe I should call it "self-abuse" rather than "self-injury".

I agree. But I felt that point needed clarifying.

I will also say that any self-diagnosis is inadvisable. Psychiatric illness, as well as physical illness, is more 'safely' made with a medical diagnosis.