Eating Disorder Support & Recovery

mistyhound2, thanks so much...
😁

Hey everyone, I’m not sure if this has been discussed here before—I did a quick search but came up empty, so I figured I’d just start a new thread.
The thing is, I’m getting really worried about a coworker of mine. I have a nagging feeling she might be struggling with bulimia. Now, I know it’s never that black and white, so I’m looking for some insight from anyone who might know more about this than I do.
From what I can tell, this has been going on for about two months. We spend a lot of time together, and I’ve noticed that after almost every meal, she heads straight to the restroom and stays there for quite a while. It feels like she's purging. On top of that, her portions have become significantly larger than what she used to eat. I really don't want to jump to conclusions or make an accusation without being certain, especially since she hasn't visibly lost weight yet, but all these signs are pointing in that direction.
Does anyone know how long it typically takes before physical weight loss becomes noticeable? I guess I’m looking for that "smoking gun" to confirm my suspicions, because again, I really don't want to confront her unless I'm absolutely sure I'm right.

Can someone please tell me what actually happened to Anthony Wood54 at the end? I spent all of last night scrolling through this entire thread, and while the whole story is laid out right here, there’s just no conclusion, and now I'm sitting here feeling genuinely anxious about it... 😢

Thanks in advance to anyone who can lend a hand here...
I’m really worried about my girlfriend. For the last five months, she’s been forcing herself to vomit. It’s become this cycle where she just overeats and then purges everything. She eats way too much because she knows she can just get rid of it later. Honestly, she’s always been gorgeous—I knew that before we even started dating, and guys have always hit on her. Weight isn't actually an issue, but she’s got it stuck in her head; every time she catches her reflection in a mirror, she’s like, "Oh my god, I've gained so much weight." I look at her and I'm just baffled. How does she not see how great she looks!?
She keeps lying to me, claiming she’s stopped, but if I push just a little bit, she’ll admit she's still doing it. I’m trying everything to help her—watching her closely, Googling symptoms, reading endless articles on bulimia, trying to talk sense into her, and attempting to keep an eye on things as much as possible, but nothing seems to stop the cycle...
Hopefully, I posted this in the right section... 😢

There’s a huge discussion going on over in the women's corner right now about anorexia and bulimia
Here it is:

I'm 21. I've been battling bulimia for six years now. Honestly, your girlfriend is lucky... she's got an amazing guy by her side... mine just doesn't get it at all... usually, girls struggling with bulimia deal with pretty low self-esteem... so, is she constantly spiraling into a depression or just obsessing over how she looks in the mirror? Is it the weight, or is it deeper than that?

Good for her—honestly, it’s great that you’re stepping up to help. Just keep doing what you're doing. I’m actually struggling with bulimia myself right now. My boyfriend has no clue—it’s just my best friend—but even she doesn't believe me. She thinks I'm making the whole thing up... so now I've resorted to lying to her, telling her I've already quit.

Please... I'm reaching out because I don't know where else to turn... does anyone know where I can send my daughter for bulimia treatment? Please help if you have any insight... because... this illness is just devastating... I'm at a complete loss as to where to go or what steps to take next...:-(

There’s this organization called Spotify—if I’m remembering the name right, though I think it was started by the dad of some girl who struggled with an eating disorder. They might actually have some decent advice to offer. I remember seeing a segment on TV about how there’s a massive gap in specialized care for these types of disorders. Usually, people just get sent to an endocrinologist or maybe a psychiatrist for something minor, but honestly, you really need a whole team of specialists working together on cases like this.

edit: here’s their website: http://www.hope.org/. Give them a shout; they should be able to point you in the right direction and help you figure out who to see.

Hey everyone. I finally opened up to my mom about what’s been going on with me, and honestly, I just needed to get this out there. I’ve been struggling with vomiting since middle school—I’m 24 now—and yesterday was just the breaking point. Mentally, I am completely exhausted and deeply unhappy with where I am. It used to be that I’d throw up four or five times a day, my voice would sound terrible, and yesterday I felt physically awful; my blood pressure dropped to 100/60 and my teeth are already taking a hit. On top of that, I get these sores on my tongue, and to make matters worse, I work at a convenience store where I'm surrounded by piles of candy and junk food all day. I just don't have any strength left. I really don't know how to help myself, which is why I finally talked to my mom. I’m not some idiot; I’m finishing up my degree, I have a job, and I’m in a wonderful relationship. I look at everything I want for my future—having kids, living a normal life—and then I realize people are out there fighting for their lives while I’m consciously destroying mine.

. Ugh, I just had to vent. I could never bring myself to tell my friends or my boyfriend...