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Hi there,
Thank you for writing to me, its great to hear from such a thoughtful friend.
I cant tell you whether your friend has anorexia as thats 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 dont 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.
Im 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 ChildLines confidentiality policy before you get in touch.
Take care,
Sam
You can talk privately to a counsellor online or call 0800 1111 for free.
You can ask me about anything you want, there's nothing too big or small. I read every single letter but I can only answer a few each week. My replies are published here on my page.