Topic : Bulimia

I think I read somewhere that the government mandates that insurance companies have to treat mental illnesses the same as they would physical ailments, but only twelve states list eating disorders as one of the mental illnesses that must be treated.

And eating disorders have the highest mortality rate.

Is there something wrong here?

What can be done?  Gosh, there's who knows how many Americans afflicted with bulimia, anorexia, and EDNOS - can't we march on Washington or something?  So many people die from these diseases, but countless others have next to no quality of life because of them.  I know I've wished I could die countless times, or told myself I'm already dead.  I couldn't find treatment because of my insurance.  (I don't mean stick you in lockup for 72 hours because you say you're suicidal.  I mean real, specialized, necessary treatment for an eating disorder.)

I'm practically jumping out of my skin I want to do something so badly.  I'm tired of wasting away.  I'm tired of watching my friends waste away.  My anorexic cousin is looking thinner.  She wants to move out of her parents' house sometime before she dies!  (And so do I, for that matter.)  Come on, people, I know our brains are atrophying, but together can't we think of something before it's too late and we hand down our curse to the next generation?

This board has been remarkably vacant.

Are any of y'all still here?

I read my daughters journal, I found she is purging, confronted her but did not let her know I read the journal.  I used other methods for telling her I knew she was purging.  She said, she has only purged a few times and has not done it since she has been home from college for Christmas break.  I do not believe her, since I found other things in journal and she outwardly denied that stuff.  At what point do I just tell her I read the journal and she is basically in serious trouble, out of control.  I am taking her to our primary care doctor on Friday about the purging.  She needs help and needs to get real.  Do I tell her I read the journal?

She'll probably hate you for it if you tell her, but if it's the only way to get her to get help, then you may have to. You could go and tell the doctor what you read on your own, but you may not have a say at all if she's over 18.  But then again, if she's still in college, some doctors may bend the rules for you.  (They did when my Mom got insistent and I was in college and having "problems".)

The important thing is, if she needs specialized treatment, to get it now, if you possibly can.  When she's out of college and on her own and still out of control she may come to a point where she wants treatment but cannot get it to save her life.  Treatment for eating disorders is so expensive, and if she doesn't get a job with good insurance benefits, she won't have the option of getting help later.

I guess . . . my Mom having read my journal when I was in college and was hurting myself . . . I got over it.  I mean, you feel violated for awhile, but as you get older you really become a different person so you don't mind as much anymore.  But, I mean, I have never been more angry with her in my life.

It also may be that your daughter is desperate for someone to see how out of control she feels and it would be a relief to finally get that acknowledgement.  She may not want it from you (I didn't), but . . .

It's just better to get the truth on the table.

The thing about bulimia is that you feel so ashamed of it - that's probably why she's lying to you.  I wish I could tell you exactly what to say.  Just recognize that she feels ashamed, and if you spend too much time telling her how horrible what she's doing is, then she'll just feel worse.  If it were me, I'd want someone to say:

"I know you feel out of control right now, but you just need a little bit of help, that's all.  You can get back on track.  We'll get you that help, and you won't have to worry anymore, because you're going to beat this, and you'll have the whole rest of your life ahead of you COMPLETELY FREE of this eating disorder."

I tend to throw up atleast once a day after a meal.. I'm scared, I try stopping but then a few days later I start up again. I'm scared if people don't like me if I am fat.

It feels like i'll let people down if I get fat. last year I lost 25 pounds but then I gained 10 pounds back because I was starving myself and over exercising. People around me at school and church would tell me i was doing so well with losing the weight and now that i've gained 10 pounds i feel pressure that i'm not good enough at this weight.

I don't look bulimic but I don't know how to stop. I'm not fat, i'm not skinny, I look alright I guess.. but nobody would expect a happy person like me to be doing something like this to myself. I'm 17 and when I hear stories of teeth falling out or dieing because of this I just don't think it'd ever happen to me. But i'm a bit worried.. and I know I have a problem but i'm just one person... and i'm not like barfing after everything only when I eat to much so maybe it's not much of a problem at all I don't know...