Advice on Getting Help

[xtinaa]

I've suffered from undiagnosed disordered eating since freshman year in highschool.  I'm now 18 and recently came clean to a friend about my habits.  She is worried and said that she would come with me to a clinic to get help but I'm scared.  I am not a fan of hospitals and don't have money to pay for therapy, nor do I truly believe that they will take me seriously.  I'm only borderline underweight but lately when I go a couple days restricting calories or purge my heart starts beating strangely (really slow, fast, not rhythmically) and I'm worried about my health.  I just need some advice on what I should expect because I'm sick of living my life like this, but I can't change without help.

[beachbunn1986]

if you want help there are some places that  care for you without paying alot of money  if you check in the phone book  or go to your local hospital you can talk to someone nd they can help you out .   iv had an ed for 13yr  it ***** i cant get rid of it  i went to treatment when i was 19  i agree it did nothing for me and the therapy was too much so i told them what they wanted to hear and got out to just go back.  being alone while trying to get better is not good so its good you talked to your friends. im glad your trying to get better  i got ell for about 10 months and i was so hapy  not freaking out if someone was sitting next to me or what i was going to do if someone wanted me to come over for dinner   so it is possible  just lots of hard work  and its ok to fail its part of getting better so dont be to hard on yourself:)    i do know that at the health dept  they have a free coucling service  iv used it myself when i was younger and had no money.  i hope and pray you are able to get better  and if you need anything feel free t send me a note .   good luck hun

[xtinaa]

i don't purge that often, sometimes it can be once a month, three times a week, or just go months without.  it sort of varies but yes i do know the side effects.  i'm getting a lot of feedback saying that i should pursue it i've just been getting discouraged easily but i'm willing to give it a try. thanks for the advice.

[lanvin]

There are options for people with no money.

[lanvin]

What you should expect at a hospital? Depends on where you go, but they will hopefully put you on an antidepressant or another medicatio nthat helps people with eating disorders. Something usually for the brain , to help the change your thinking, especially about your body. Medication can help, but talk therapy or CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) will be the most beneficial in your disorder. It will take time and work. Retraining your brain, but you can get there. Remeber that even if you're not extremely underweight you can still cause a great deal of damage to your body. Most bulimics are actually average or slightly overweight and can still suffer major health problems as a result. Purging alone can cause tooth decay from enamel erosion and esphageal problems, like scarring, errosion leading to problems in the future not limited to cancer or holes in the throat. IT also causes serious potential problems for all of your organs , including you HEART!  I really hope you seek help, for this only gets worse! Trust me I am recovering bulimic and when I was purging, I woudl constantly get dizzy , rapid heartbeat, fatigue, and even blackout when I had a drink or two. You are right you need help to change, clinics are not fun for anyone but you will be happy you sought help. Stick with it!