Video:How to Talk to Your Teen About Bulimia

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Transcript:How to Talk to Your Teen About Bulimia

Hi, my name is Patricia O'Laughlin and I am a Marriage and Family Therapist with TherapyForParents.com, talking to you today on behalf of About.com on how to talk to your teen about bulimia.

Tips for Talking to Your Teen About Bulimia

When you talk to your teen about bulimia, it needs to be done in a calm manner, which means it's best if you feel calm when you start the conversation. Take deep breaths, and get in touch with your calmer side of yourself before you approach your teen. When you approach your teen, make sure it's not at an hour of the day that feels wrong: late at night, early in the morning, or when you're in a rush are not good times to have a conversation about this.

5 Points About Talking to Your Teen About Bulimia

I'm now going to share with you 5 points to consider when you talk to your teen about bulimia.

The first point is that you should use a calm voice. Approach them gently and with love, and non-judgmentally.

The second point is to use "I" statements and come from your feeling standpoint. This will help limit the teen from feeling judged. Say something like: "I am scared. I think you might have an eating disorder."

The third thing is to remember that your teen is going to feel bad about their behavior. They might get defensive, they might say things like, "you don't care about me" or "get away from me." Try to remember that this is your teen feeling bad about themselves, and it's not a judgment on you. Stick with them and stay kind, to help them.

The fourth thing is that denial is a very strong part of bulimia. Don't let your teen get away with it. Your teen may say something like, "I can handle this, I can control this, or this isn't your problem." It IS your problem. Bulimia is not something somebody can control on their own. It's important you get them support. Get them to the doctor immediately, so they can have an examination and make sure things are okay. And then get them the psychological support needed.

The fifth thing is don't engage in a lecture with your teen. Lectures just turn the ears off. Keep it short, keep it in a loving state of mind, and keep to your "I" statements and you'll be fine. I know it can be a very scary thing thinking that your teen might have bulimia.

Please try to get them the support as soon as you can. Thank you for watching and for more information, visit us at About.com.