How to Find Help for Someone With Bulimia
Learn about bulimia., Recognize the signs., Gather information., Confront the individual gently., Call your doctor or the hospital., Look for support groups in your area., Encourage the individual to see a doctor., Talk to the individual's loved...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Learn about bulimia.
The last thing you want to do is confront or accuse someone who is not suffering from the disease.
Bulimia is an eating disorder in which the person suffering frequently binge eats, and then panics about all of the food they just consumed.
The binging is followed by purging, and the person suffering from bulimia may use ex-lax or other laxatives in order to purge the food they just binged upon. -
Step 2: Recognize the signs.
Some signs of binge eating include: the inability to stop eating, eating large amounts of food yet gaining no weight, and eating in secret.
Some signs of purging include: heading directly to the bathroom right after a meal, using laxatives, exercising constantly, and a person suffering from bulimia might try to cover the smell of vomit with mints and gum. , Hit up your local library to read more on the eating disorder known as bulimia.
Search the Internet for the latest articles about helping someone with bulimia.
Your friend who is suffering from bulimia might need a different kind of help than someone else with bulimia.
Many of the same things help someone with bulimia, but you may want to try a few different approaches. , Talk to your friend, either by yourself or with a small group of other concerned friends and family.
Be careful that your friend doesn't think you're attacking him or her.
But be aware that he or she still might seem defensive.
The individual will likely deny having a problem, so be ready for that. , See if they know of any eating disorder programs in the area and gather information to give to your friend. , There may be support groups outside the hospital environment that you can try to get your friend to go to.
He or she may feel more comfortable in a support group that does not take place within a medical office. , Chances are, there is already a family doctor to whom he or she can talk to.
See if you can convince your friend to go see his or her doctor, as the doctor will be able to provide very detailed information about how bulimia is affecting his or her health. , Provide support to your friend's family and other loved ones.
They will need almost as much support as your friend, so they in turn can provide the support that your friend needs. , In the end, it's up to your friend to get help for bulimia.
You cannot force your friend to get help, but you can provide the information to enable him or her to get help with bulimia. -
Step 3: Gather information.
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Step 4: Confront the individual gently.
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Step 5: Call your doctor or the hospital.
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Step 6: Look for support groups in your area.
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Step 7: Encourage the individual to see a doctor.
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Step 8: Talk to the individual's loved ones.
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Step 9: Step back.
Detailed Guide
The last thing you want to do is confront or accuse someone who is not suffering from the disease.
Bulimia is an eating disorder in which the person suffering frequently binge eats, and then panics about all of the food they just consumed.
The binging is followed by purging, and the person suffering from bulimia may use ex-lax or other laxatives in order to purge the food they just binged upon.
Some signs of binge eating include: the inability to stop eating, eating large amounts of food yet gaining no weight, and eating in secret.
Some signs of purging include: heading directly to the bathroom right after a meal, using laxatives, exercising constantly, and a person suffering from bulimia might try to cover the smell of vomit with mints and gum. , Hit up your local library to read more on the eating disorder known as bulimia.
Search the Internet for the latest articles about helping someone with bulimia.
Your friend who is suffering from bulimia might need a different kind of help than someone else with bulimia.
Many of the same things help someone with bulimia, but you may want to try a few different approaches. , Talk to your friend, either by yourself or with a small group of other concerned friends and family.
Be careful that your friend doesn't think you're attacking him or her.
But be aware that he or she still might seem defensive.
The individual will likely deny having a problem, so be ready for that. , See if they know of any eating disorder programs in the area and gather information to give to your friend. , There may be support groups outside the hospital environment that you can try to get your friend to go to.
He or she may feel more comfortable in a support group that does not take place within a medical office. , Chances are, there is already a family doctor to whom he or she can talk to.
See if you can convince your friend to go see his or her doctor, as the doctor will be able to provide very detailed information about how bulimia is affecting his or her health. , Provide support to your friend's family and other loved ones.
They will need almost as much support as your friend, so they in turn can provide the support that your friend needs. , In the end, it's up to your friend to get help for bulimia.
You cannot force your friend to get help, but you can provide the information to enable him or her to get help with bulimia.
About the Author
Doris Allen
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow practical skills tutorials.
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