help what does this mean???

Question

my second best friend in the whole entire world has confided in me that she is bulimic...i feel really stupid for asking this so no nasty answer please...i know that it is when you keep being sick asfter eating but what i dont know is how...i mean like how do you do it? the actual being sick part...is she just strange that she can throw up at will? please ont laugh this is a serious question but i cant ask her...she's promised not to do it anymore and i believe her cuz she has never broken a promise in her life but i really gotta know what this means its really bugging me

L-O-V-L-E-Y sorry i asked!!!

this is for LAH413 i'm not anorexic (far from it!!) nd this is genuinly for a friend but in answer to your question i might as well not have family cuz i h8 every1 in it dont trust any adults i know (especially my social worker) and i dunno why i cut my wrists...basicly my life sucz and as my mum says "i'm too lazy to do anything about it" nt true btw. i have to resort to climbing out my window to go anywhere my life is full of restictions and c*ap i can't handle so i dunno...i know you mean well but what would you do if u were me...sit up in your bedroom and wait for life to get better?? the only thing more depressing than my life is daytime tv like channels 1-5 my parents h8 me and the feelings mutual so much OTHER stuff has happened and now i just wait in my room to die whenever that mayb...but hey i'm not depressed just p*ssed off i think...thanx 4 ur concern & soz 4 snapping @ u but i'm very p*ssed off and havent slept in days!!! so sue me but this IS genuinly for a m8

Answer 1

I am sorry to pry but I looked at some of your other questions that you have posted I am very worried about you. I don't know you but yet I am worried. With that said are you asking about bulimia for yourself. I hope that you are seeing a thearipist cutting is very dangerous and Elf you are so young to have such issues I know that you said you are not close to your family but you need to speak with someone, do you have an aunt or cousin that you may feel comfortable with. I hope that you get the support that you need to deal with your demons. Don't worry your life will get better you may not think it right now but it will. Be brave stand up to your self doubts and you will be ok. Talk to someone you trust a therapist, a family member, a priest or rev. (what ever religion you may be), a teacher or a friends mom someone you trust and that maybe they can talk to your mom about how you feel.

Again I am sorry to pry I just want you to be ok and take care of yourself. You are at a tough age but it will get better as you get older. Talk to anyone who has been a teenager and they will tell you it gets better.

Stay Positive!
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This is a serious problem and can and will cause major health issues. Here is some information on it.

Bulimia (buh-LEE -me-ah) nervosa, typically called bulimia, is a type of eating disorder. Someone with bulimia eats a lot of food in a short amount of time (called bingeing) and then tries to prevent weight gain by purging. Purging might be done in these ways:

making oneself throw up
taking laxatives, pills, or liquids that increase how fast food moves through your body and leads to a bowel movement (BM)
A person with bulimia may also use these ways to prevent weight gain:

exercising a lot, eating very little or not at all, taking pills to pass urine

How Bulimia affects your body:

Blood: anemia (low iron)
Heart: Irregular heart beat, heart muscle weakened, heart failure,
low pulse and blood pressure

Body Fluids: dehydration, low potassium, magnesium and Sodium.

Intestines: constipation, irregular bowel movements (BM),
bloating, diarrhea, abdominal cramping

Hormones: irregular or absent period

Brain: depression, fear of gaining weight, anxiety, dizziness,
shame, low self esteem

Cheeks: swelling, soreness

Mouth: cavities, tooth enamel erosion, gum disease
teeth sensitive to hot and cold foods

Throat and Esophagus: sore, irritated, can tear and rupture,
blood in vomit

Muscles: fatigue

Stomach: ulcers, pain, can rupture, delayed emptying

Skin: abrasion of knuckles, dry skin

That is just a short list of what it Bulimia is here is a link to the National Eating Disorders Association: http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/p.asp?WebPage_ID=337

You need to try and help your friend anyway you can to get her help. I know that she told you this in confidence but it is something that you may not be able to handle yourself you may need to get one of her family members involved. I hope this information helps you. Good Luck and get her help.
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Answer 2

Hi elf,
That's a very good question and one that all young people, especially girls, should learn about.
The dictionary defines bulimia as:
"An eating disorder, common especially among young women of normal or nearly normal weight, that is characterized by episodic binge eating and followed by feelings of guilt, depression, and self-condemnation. It is often associated with measures taken to prevent weight gain, such as self-induced vomiting, the use of laxatives, dieting, or fasting. Also called bulimarexia, bulimia nervosa."

Instead of my "preaching" to you about how harmful bulimia can be, click on this link below and in the Search box type in "bulimia" or "anorexia" or any other keywords that you want information about:
http://www.teenhealthfx.com/index.php

Good luck and please go talk to your friend
with your newfound information...
after all, that's what friends are for.

Answer 3

she is eating or binging on food the sticking her fingers down her throat to make herself ill if this is the case she needs medical advice dont believe her when she says she wont do it any more this is a severs mental problem and needs expert help even if she hasnt broken a promise there is always a first time good luck hope she gets over this

Answer 4

Pop into your doctors practise and pick up some leaflets on Bulimia so you can inform yourself about what your friend is suffering, do not let her convince you she will never do it again, she needs support and counselling and sooner rather than later, its a condition that needs specialist help and having a friend like you to help and guide her towards getting the help now is a small way to helping her big time.

Answer 5

Bulimic people either make themselves sick by choking themselves ie with their hand in their throat...or they use laxatives so that the food digests really fast so that the body doesnt absorb the nutrients...
also bulimic people binge eat - they eat uncontrollably so look out for that - she really needs to get help...be there for her ok

she needs psychological reassurance because she may have a distorted image of herself (fat) when she may look perfectly healthy, so try and be encouraging, but remember, as you are the person whom she has confided in, it is your resonsibility to help her...bulimic people hide their problems

good luck to you and your friend :)

Answer 6

your friend should seek medical help immediately! bulimics stick their fingers down their throats after eating something, usually straight after so it doesn't enter the stomach or digestive tract! doing this sort of thing causes stomach ulcers and can lead to thinning of the throat or even worse because the stomach acid is also been ejected(it passes through the trachea and throat)

Answer 7

I suffered from the same but do not have time to fully answer you just now, but I will get back to you and explain Don't panic - your friend must trust you very much, as bulimics do not share their awful secret. Speak later

Answer 8

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Answer 9

That girl NEEDS HELP. Tell her parents, take her to the hospitol do whatever it takes to get her help, regardless she will love you more for it later but that sh*t is serious and requires professional help, **** you and I cannot handle so go take care of that and keep us informed ok sweetie?

Answer 10

Bulimia is where you make yourself sick...so i'm guessing she sticks her fingers down her throat or something? It's really dangerous, so i hope she does stop...xxx