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anorexia

Hello
       I think that my friend may have anorexia and i am worried about her. She said to me one day that she had only had a packet of crisps. She is obsessed with getting abs and doesnt eat. She wont eat in front of people but secretly eats in class. she is always parnoid about how much she is eating and says that she does 50 sit ups and 50 push ups a day. Im not sure but i think she may have the begings of anorexia. But i feel if i said anything she would just be angery and deny it. not sure what to do need help???
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Sam

Hi there,

Thank you for writing to me, it’s great to hear from such a thoughtful friend.

I can’t tell you whether your friend has anorexia as that’s something that only a doctor can diagnose. However, I can hear that you are concerned about the way she is behaving at the moment. It sounds like you really care for your friend and would like to talk to her about your worries but you are afraid that she might get angry and deny it.

Often people with eating disorders like anorexia don’t realise that they have a problem which can make it harder for them to talk about it. Maybe you could have a think about what it is that you would like to say to her and when would be a good time to try and chat to her. I am also wondering how you would feel about letting her know that ChildLine is here to support her if there is anything that she would like to talk about.

You could try looking at the page about Eating problems in Explore if you want to understand a bit more about this subject. Another good site for anyone worried about eating disorders is B-eat.

I’m not sure if you have spoken to anyone else about your worries and I want you to know that the ChildLine counsellors are here for you too if you want to talk. You can call us on 0800 1111, or log on to the website to send us an email or have a 1-2-1 chat.

I know it can sometimes feel stressful and scary supporting a friend that you are worried about. You could also think about what it might like be to talk to a teacher that you trust, or someone like a school nurse or school counsellor. Your school would probably have a different confidentiality policy to ChildLine so you might want to check with them about that. You can find out more information about ChildLine’s confidentiality policy before you get in touch.

Take care,

Sam

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