Friend Has Eating Disorder and Cutting Herself. Her Family Is Not Taking It Seriously, Some Are Encouraging It

My good friend informed me she has an eating disorder, and has been counting and consuming very little calories. She has almost been able to throw up her food, and I found out she has been cutting her breast and wrist with nail clippers secretly, and she told me she gets frustrated when she does not see blood. (her parents don’t know about the cutting, but they know about the eating problem) My friend’s parents are not taking this seriously, often brushing her eating problem off as nothing, and her Grandma is encouraging the calorie counting starvation diet, saying it is great, and my friend needs to do it to look better, when, in truth, my friend is already a healthy size, and quite thin! My friend feels extreme pressure, and I am really worried. She is 14, and will be attending a dance school in NYC alone at the age of 16, and I want to get her help before it is too late. I also discovered she has been to a councilor, but is still doing everything I listed, and maybe more.

What can I do to get her the help she needs, and to boost her confidence of her self image?

A: I have a high regard for friendship and your desire to help your friend. However, she is in need of professional help, and your job can be to encourage her to stay connected to her counselor. The most direct way is for you to talk to your school counselor about what you’ve been told and what you notice. This is important because her condition is now affecting you, and the counselor can help both of you. You can also offer to go with your friend to her counselor, or write out your concerns and ask her to share your list with her therapist.

There are also good blogs with information on dancing and eating disorders you can pass on to your friend (like this one http://ift.tt/2viP9cB), or make her aware of the eating disorder forum here at Psych Central. Here is another resource on cutting she may find useful.

Wishing you patience and peace,
Dr. Dan
Proof Positive Blog @ PsychCentral

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