Hi there,
Bulimia is an eating disorder where people eat a lot of food at once and then try to get rid of the food from their body, sometimes by throwing up. This can be called binging and purging and it can cause your weight to go up and down quite quickly. Its important to get help because this can be dangerous to your health.
Its normal to be scared about how your parents will react. But you've done really well to speak to your friend's mum about it. Although you might be nervous, speaking to your parents will mean you dont have to keep it a secret anymore and they could help you to get support.
Think about what youd like to say to your parents. Choose a time that theyre not busy, so youre not rushed when explaining it to them. You could print off our page on bulimia to help explain to them what it is and what support is available.
It might help to have someone with you, like your friend or her mum, when youre telling them. If youre closer to one parent you may want to start off by telling them and ask they help you tell the other. If they get mad, remember this is not your fault and they may need some time to understand.
Seeing your doctor will help. They can help you to see a nutritionist or counsellor like a cognitive behavioural therapist (CBT). Getting professional help like this gives lots of young people the strength to recover from bulimia. A counsellor can help you think about the role food plays in your life and how you can control wanting to binge and purge.
Remember you can always talk to one of our counsellors.
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.
