Ask Sam letter

Hi there,

Starving yourself can be very dangerous because your body needs nutrients to survive.

There are lots of different reasons why people starve themselves or try to control the food their body gets. Sometimes people are feeling low about themselves or the way they look, or maybe they are finding things difficult to cope with at home or at school. There may be something going on for you that you’d like to talk about or you may not be sure what is causing this. Either way, you don’t have to cope by yourself.

You mentioned bulimia and this harming your body, and it’s great this is something you’re thinking about. Eating problems can be damaging to your body.  It’s important to talk about any changes you’ve noticed or worries you have to someone who is medically trained, to get the right advice and support. Maybe you could let mum or a teacher know first and ask for their help in making a doctor’s appointment, or you may prefer to speak to your school nurse or make an appointment yourself.

Everyone gets sick occasionally, but being sick every day or often can put a lot of strain on your body and it’s important that you get support to help stop this happening. If talking about how you feel and starving yourself feels too difficult, maybe you could start by letting someone know how often you’re being sick. This might be an easier way to start talking about what’s going on.

Whatever you decide, ChildLine is here to support you.

Take care,
Sam