I think my friend is anorexic/bulimic. What can I do?

Question

She told me that she hasn't eaten in over 3 weeks. And if she does, she just throws it up. Im the only one she has told, she hasnt even told her boyfriend of 2 years. Should I tell him? She said she eats in front of him and her family so it isnt suspicious but then goes and throws up right away. Should I tell him? I will not be the one to tell her mom, (her dad died when she was 8), because I want her to be able to trust me. In case anything like this ever happens again, she has someone to confide in. She is not fat AT ALL. she is 16 years old, and about 5'7, and only 130 pounds. What will happen if she continues not to eat?

Answer 1

the first thing to do might be to talk to your friend, privately, about what you have noticed. Tell your friend that you're worried. Be as gentle as possible, and try to really listen to and be supportive of your friend and what he or she is going through.

It's normal for a person with an eating disorder to be defensive and angry when confronted for the first time. Try not to get angry back at your friend; just remind him or her that you care. Trying to help someone who doesn't think he or she needs help can be hard - people with eating disorders often have trouble admitting, even to themselves, that they have a problem. Of course, it's not your job to diagnose your friend - that's the job of a doctor. But if your friend is willing to seek help, offer to go with him or her to see a counselor or a medical expert.

If your concerns increase and your friend still seems to be in denial, talk to your parents, the school guidance counselor or nurse, or your friend's parents. This isn't easy to do because it can feel like betraying a friend, but it's often necessary to get your friend the help he or she needs.

An eating disorder is a very difficult illness. You can support your friend by learning as much as you can about eating disorders. Your friend's body image and behavior may be a symptom of another underlying illness. There are lots of organizations, books, websites, hotlines, or other resources devoted to helping people who are battling eating disorders. Click on the Resources tab for some of these.

Being a supportive friend also means learning how to behave around someone with an eating disorder. Here are some things you can do to support a friend who is battling an eating problem:

Avoid talking about food.
Avoid being overly watchful of your friend's eating habits, food amounts, and choices.
Avoid making statements like, "If you'd just eat or stop exercising, you'll get better."
Avoid reinforcing the idea that this is all about your friend's physical appearance.
Most importantly, remind your friend that you care - no matter how he or she looks.

Answer 2

support her and tell her she's beautiful.

if it gets bad, make sure she's the first person you go to. ask her if she thinks she might have a problem. if she says no, then continue to support her. talk to her and pinpoint things she does, say stuff like "it's not normal to always need to throw up after meals" and keep asking her if she thinks she has a problem.

always make sure she knows you can talk to you. don't tell her boyfriend or anyone else unless it gets really serious, because she would deny it and feel as if you were talking about her behind her back, decreasing her confidence. that's the last thing she needs.

keep her entertained, always be thinking of fun things to do. she doesn't want to be sitting at home wallowing in her own sadness. do things together and stuff like that. call her in the evenings.

make sure that whatever she knows that you'll be there to support her no matter what!

Answer 3

Deffently don't keep this to yourself. Comfort her though because although she's doing a bad thing sometimes she can't help it. She probably thinks she can trust you, and she probably can, but the right thing is telling someone YOU trust. Like parents or cousins. You HAVE to be the stronger person and tell someone, or else she will get VERY sick, and possibly die.

Answer 4

i`m no expert but...PLZ READ THIS! you hav to sit her down and talk to her calmly. if she wants to lose weight then tell her perging isn`t always the answer. if u dont want her to get sick then i suggest u try this. make a way where ure both happy like she can eat salad and drink water and not puke it out...she culd excercise and lose some pounds. after u tell her this if it doesnt work then tell her that she will het very sick cuz shes really headed in that direction and if it still continues then u should tell her boyfrend. but wen u tell her boyfrend u hav to make him swear not to tell anyone and that he should try to talk to her. i wish u best with ure frend.
GOOD LUCK

Answer 5

she's gonna die......im 5'5 and 130. why does she want to lose weight? i think its a good size as we arent that skinny and we have some curves on our body. tell her to admit to someone she has a problem or you'll snitch on her. she fu ck up her body so badly. and im sorry i think people like that are stupid as fu ck and need to get a life instead of spending theirs in the mirror. SNITCH on her if you have to. but talk to her first

Answer 6

What will hapen if she continues not to eat?
She`ll die
that's the plain truth
if u want to help her tell somebody
which do u perfer?
her being able to trust you or her dieing?

Answer 7

She will just keep getting sicker if you don't intervene. You need to talk to her and tell her that if she doesn't start eating, you are going to have to let her family know what is going on. Let her know that you love her and are only looking out for her best interest.

Answer 8

Tell some one now her folks, your folks. Remember Karen Carpenter.

http://www.medicinenet.com/anorexia_nervosa/article.htm

Answer 9

I think you should follow your heart and do what it says. (It will basically tell you to tell them)