Is there a doctor on the forum!?

[Meowster]

Is there a doctor on the forum!?

One of my friends had a bad family life and the way she used to deal with it was through bulemia. Whenever she got upset, she would make herself sick and refuse to eat. Her weight fluctuated a lot, she'd make herself miserable and obsess about food... but it wasn't to do with her weight. She didn't feel fat... she did it simply to punish herself for some reason. Even she doesn't know why she did it. She just did. It made her feel better to make herself sick, whenever something bad happened.

Anyway after leaving home/getting a boyfriend/etc she got a bit better and settled down a bit, and for a few years she's been really doing good... except for recently. She's been having some problems with her long-term boyfriend... she's too scared to confront him about some issues in case he leaves her, so she's starting to drift back to her old ways of not eating/making herself sick, instead of dealing with the problems she has. I'm worried, I don't know what to do... Is this problem Bulemia? It's not related to weight, that much I know... I don't even know where to start looking for information on it... anybody got any clues?

[LimpingFish]

It sounds like Bulemia, or maybe a psychologial variation of it.
Or it could just be a way for her to manifest her fears and/or depression.

Try here...

http://www.bulimiaguide.org/index/category.aspx?lid=460
http://www.helpguide.org/mental/bulimia_signs_symptoms_causes_treatment.htm

...they seem to have some useful information on symptoms and such.

Hope this helps

[Gregjazz]

I don't think that's Bulemia, she just has a self-punishing mental disorder.

[switcharoo]

It sounds very similar to self harming to me, which is something I've had experience of with people close to me. If when your friend was younger she felt she couldnt, or didn't want to, talk to anyone abour her family problems then making herself sick (much like people cutting or burning themselves) could have seemed like the only thing that helps her to feel better.

When things started to go well again she stopped. But when the problems with her boyfriend started it would be very easy to relapse, because she remembers that making herself sick makes her feel better.

When my friend harmed herself I managed to get her to see a doctor, she was prescribed antidepressants and visits to a cousellor were arranged. The long and short of it is she's better now and has been for the past couple of years.

If you can you should get your friend to see a doctor and explain everything to them. They will know what the problem is and how to overcome it.