Anorexia

[Blaze]

So here is the deal, I have a friend and I strongly believe that she is anorexic. She is now the third friend that I know that lived through this problem. What do you think I should do cause for the other 2 friends, I only learned that they were anorexic after they stopped but this time I'm pretty sure that she is still anorexic and possibly bulimic. What should I do

-Blaze-

 

[Joan the Vampire Slayer]

Well, this a tricky situation. I would tell her you're concerned about her because you care about her. Don't blame her or compare her to others you've known with the problem. Offer to help her to join a anorexia support group or see a therapist. Anorexia can be very damaging on one's physical and mental development. Hopefully she'll seek treatment. Ultimately though, she's one who needs to help herself.

 

[luckystar]

my opinion would be to not come at her to strongly just let it be known that she is loved and cared for by people and so on, its such a serious issue that the sooner its out in the open then the more chance of beating it quicker

 

[Blaze]

I completly agree with you but the problem is that she sort of is in denial and she is really not eating enough and getting skinnier and skinnier every day. I tried talking of her eating habit (without attacking her about it) and all she says is that the reason she doesn't eat for lunch is cause she eat more at supper which one of my other friend conform that it wasn't true, she was in fact not eating at supper. Her health really worries me but I don,t want her feeling like I'm attacking her and she is not the type to open up

-Blaze-

 

[luckystar]

i used that line a lot when i had my own issues, i really think its a matter of sitting down with her explaining that your not attacking her or on her case etc your just a friend who worries and wants the people she loves to be happy you know its a small start to just open the door so you might be someone she could confide in, every little helps

 

[Kean]

If you have genuine concerns why not contact an organisation that helps people with eating disorders. They will be able to give you professional guidance as what to do.

🙂

 

[Lou]

This is a toughy.
As a parent, I would say I'd want to know. (Assuming we're talking about an underaged person, because they can't really get help without their parent's knowing.)
Even if it was just an anonymous letter mailed to me with suspicions and no real proof only concern. Then at least you told the people who can actually help. They can look into it.
I'm not saying that's the BEST plan, just what I would like. I'd assume the person in question has heard it's dangerous, and don't care.
That is the biggest problem with being a teen. Parents are always out of the loop and they can help, their friends can't help, but they know.

IF this were to end in something life threatening, parents knowing is better than anyone else.

Also, if your friend hasn't confirmed it with you yet, you're TECHNICALLY not breaking a confidence. Although, I wouldn't tell your friend that because I doubt they'd see it. That would just be for your own knowledge.

That's a tough call though. I can't really advise on WHAT to do, just what I would want as a parent. As a teen, that's the LAST thing I would want you to do.

Thus, I'm very unhelpful.

 

[Harm]

Tough Love.

You can't cure this for her, she is the only person who can. Obviously she needs help with it. The one way you can help her, get the girl some help, tell someone that knows how to handle a situation like this even if she knows you did it. She'll get over it, plus she's got a lot more to worry about. Just tell a health teacher/consular or some one like that. Parents are just annoying don't tell yours they will start butting into your school life and try to make friends with the kids you are mean to so then you have to yell at them and tell the kids that it was you trying to piss them off.

Ok, so a little off topic. But yea, tough love. Talk to her, if she doesn't listen then just tell someone who can get her help.

 

[November]

Tough Love.

You can't cure this for her, she is the only person who can. Obviously she needs help with it. The one way you can help her, get the girl some help, tell someone that knows how to handle a situation like this even if she knows you did it. She'll get over it, plus she's got a lot more to worry about. Just tell a health teacher/consular or some one like that.Talk to her, if she doesn't listen then just tell someone who can get her help.

I agree with that part of it! One of the first steps in recovering from eating disorders is acknowledging that there is one. If she cant see that and you can, tell someone (even her parents if it comes to that). She needs more help than you can give her if she does have an eating disorder.
I hope all goes as well as it can.

 

[Sweetescape]

We think my brother is Anorexic,he's extremely thin and will sometimes go a whole day on a smoothy, we've tried to talk to him but he doesn't see that there's a problem and is carrying on dieting and exercising. But thankfully he's not stopped eating all together. What worse is my mother blinked to it all,she's wont admit there's a problem and take him to see somebody so it just continues. Sadly in his case there's nothing i i think can be done until he admits that's he's to thin.

What worries me even more is that i've found my self think oh I'll just stop eating this and that and exercise more, I'm a size 10 now and i still think I'm to big. One of my resolutions is to lose weight and eat healthy which is how it started with my brother. I don't think people realize how fast food can take over your life.

What i'd say to you is just be there for her,if she ever needs to talk to you. And i wouldn't constantly talk about food or how little there eating. With my brother that just made him hostile and aggressive and defensive towards us so he was less likely to admit he had a problem (he still hasn't). But that's just my own experience.

 

[Amicelli]

ohh... I also had this eat problems. But then I realized my breasts getting smaller and smaller and I startet to look very mannish. But happily after two years (my partens almost send me to hospital) I got that I was a way to thin and I started to eat again. hmm... perhaps show her a few pics of people with anorexia and say that she now looks as strange as they do and if she doesn't break up with thinking only about food and her weight, she is going to die because her craw will eat itself. The truth with the facts is the only thing that helped me..

 

[Blaze]

Thanks a lot guys. What you all said really helps. The worst part is that 2 years ago, one of our close friend had also huge eating disorder and she was at the point of being way way to thin, she even fainted once. Now that friend is really healthy and out of her old habbits and she talk to us about it so that we wouldn't do the same things that she did. But now We are all going through it again with my other friend.

-Blaze-

 

[CordyCat]

Well

Well, atleast they'll never be obese....right?

 

[hazzard]

Well, atleast they'll never be obese....right?

i don't really think that's appropriate...

 

[Faith]

Well, atleast they'll never be obese....right?

That is not really a constructive post and very tactless. I suggest you think before you post in the future and if you don't have anything appropriate to contribute to this discussion then perhaps don't contribute at all.

Now lets move on and get back to the thread. If anyone has anything to add then please drop me a PM and keep the thread on track.