Over the last few months I have been making myself sick after eating. I wanted to lose weight, but now I cannot stop doing it. I do feel happier and better about my weight and self in general now, but I cant stop doing it. I dont even know why I do it anymore because I dont need to lose anymore weight, but when I dont do it I feel horrible and bad about myself. I know I have to stop but how? My parents dont get this sort of stuff. I trust people at school but I am too scared to say. If I tell my guidance teacher, will she have to tell my parents? what should I do?
Thanks for reading Sam
Sam
Hi there,
Eating problems can affect anyone and often start with small things that become worse over time. An eating problem is a mental health problem and so often affects the way you feel and behave. This can include how you see your body, urges to control how much you eat or to make yourself sick. If you’ve noticed that your feelings about food or eating have changed then it might be a sign of an eating problem.
Making yourself sick isn’t healthy for you and can cause some problems. The acid that’s normally in your stomach can cause tooth decay if you're being sick a lot. Being sick also means your body isn’t getting the nutrients it needs and over time this can affect your fertility, bones and other organs like your liver and kidneys.
Many eating problems can begin with negative feelings about the way you look. Wanting to lose or gain weight are thoughts that many people have from time to time, but if it starts to affect everything you do then it can become a problem. Some people find that the things they do to change their weight can become addictive and difficult to stop. This might be making yourself sick or it could be things like exercise or controlling how much you eat.
Eating problems can be treated and with the right support you can make a full recovery. Most people need help to get better, so it's always okay to ask for it. Choosing the right person to talk to is important. They should be an adult you trust and someone you feel comfortable talking to. Your guidance teacher at school may have to tell your parents but if you're going to get help it's likely they’ll need to know at some point anyway.
If you're unsure about what do to then a safe first step is to talk it through with a Childline counsellor. You can talk about how you feel and what you’re struggling with and they’ll listen and help you to decide for yourself what to do next.
Thanks for sharing this with me, I hope it's helped.
Take care,
Sam
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