Our goddaughter moved in with us this summer. She is a compulsive overeater with bulimic tendencies. She has tried to stop several times. The doctors aren't any help. Now what?
2006-10-11 18:27:13 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Adolescent
Thanks for the comments so far. I already know how difficult EDs are. I have one, too, but have always hidden it from here.
2006-10-12 04:29:01 · update #1
There aren't any treatment centers in our area or specialists. All we have is a pedatrician and Overeaters Anonymous. She is actually COE (compulsive overeater) w/ Bulimic tendencies.
2006-10-12 04:30:25 · update #2
When i was in high school i wasn't popular and a little over weight....i wanted to be beautiful and become a prep. Well i started to throw-up every time i ate and after about a week i started to lose wieght and after a while it began to show. i spent most of my time out of the house running here there and everywhere so i didn't think about food. I started smoking to suppress the hunger. it wasn't abut about a month or so and i managed to drop 60lbs. i looked like a walking stick. i couldn't see that and my secret began to rule my life and i thought no one would stop me. eventually the man who became my husband said that if i kept doing this to myself he would leave because he didn't want to stck around why i pratically committed suicide slowly. now after 4 years its still real hard for me to eat and not think about it. i am still learning how to manage my weight in a healthy form. Honey if you don't stop her . she will become me or kill herself one. Intervention by any means. that may mean stopping her from going out or threatening her. She can't stop because she doesn't know how to make her body understand that. She may want to but her body doesn't. i am still fighting it after 4 years. the only hint i can give you is make her realize that you are tired and you love her but you don't want to see her hurt herself even if that means you walking away. I know that sounds cruel but babying doesn't work. trust me.
2006-10-12 03:02:10 · answer #1 · answered by mcshankel04 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The people you really need to contact are those in charge of a clinic for eating disorders, preferably with inpatient capability. Getting control of an eating disorder, especially with an adolescent, isn't something you can deal with in an outpatient setting. It is also not in the area of expertise of most physicians. They are trained to treat physical disorders and disease, but this is much more than just somebody with an upset stomach. This goes much deeper and involves much more than just the physical effects on her body. As much as she may hate the idea, the only way she can get things back under control is to do it through in patient treatment in a facility designed for it. There she will be surrounded by professionals who can help her, and other girls with the same problems. She won't feel odd out, and will have a good shot at turning things around. Until she determines what it is that drives her to the behavior, and deals with that, she will not be able to stop. And she will not be able to stop on her own- that is certain.
Eating disorders are deadly serious trouble, with serious repercussions if they are not treated early and properly. Eating disorders can kill. They are not simple things you can just quit- like smoking. It's not even like going on the wagon- for an alcoholic. You have to eat to live, so every day is a new challenge.
If you can't locate a treatment center on your own, contact the social services department, or even the dietician at the local hospital. Somebody will be able to put you in touch with professionals who can help your goddaughter. There are treatment programs that work, and she can get better- but this is not a problem you can handle on your own.
I know this because my first job after I got my Master's was in a clinic that dealt eating disorders. Most of the patients were anorexics, but we had a lot of bulemics as well. What your goddaughter does is called binge and purge, and it is a serious threat to her life. You need to get her professional help as soon as you possibly can, if you and she want to save her life.
2006-10-12 01:24:08 · answer #2 · answered by The mom 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
She needs to be treated by a child or adolescent psychiatrist. If she can get into an eating disorder clinic at a university, so much the better.
Family Therapy is important and medication may be helpful.
2006-10-11 19:18:30 · answer #3 · answered by Smartassawhip 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Eating disorders need specialist attention from a mental health professional. If you delay getting help, the problem will get worse and more difficult to treat. Don't waste time getting help.
2006-10-12 03:19:46 · answer #4 · answered by shakespear 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
My daughter did the same thing when she was younger.We had a great doctor that helped us..please find someone else who will help her and you have got to become her best friend and her worst enemy at the same time..give her support where she needs it but be there to give her help when she needs you..good luck
2006-10-12 09:08:05 · answer #5 · answered by baby shih tzu 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
make sure you support her and give her encouraging words,, always let her know how beautiful she is,, one cause for bulimia is lack of self esteem & feeling like your good enough...also have checked into a treatment center...her being home is not going to change anything..you can look for treatment centers in your area through yahoo. good luck.
2006-10-12 01:15:14 · answer #6 · answered by isydnor 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
my daughter was the same way it came from her dad miss treating her what i did was get her some help through consoling and told her all the time she was pretty and didn't need to loss weight i said to her ever day i love her and would be said if some thing ever happened she lives with me and she is getting better now so try to talk to her and see if you can find out whats warring her so much...................
2006-10-11 18:33:25 · answer #7 · answered by mary s 1 · 0⤊ 2⤋