Welcome

Hello, and welcome to my blog! I'm not sure exactly what I'll be writing about, but with the project I've been working on for the past 7 months recently announced, I felt compelled to finally start one. Of course, it has taken me almost a week to get my blog up and running - more on that in future blog entries...

Serchie

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

"She Tried to Starve Herself"

Beth tried everything to make her friend eat...

“She thought she was fat, she wasn't”

My Best Friend Helen is Anorexic / Bulimic. It all started one day in half term when my friend Cat and Helen were discussing a diet they were starting.

At first I just sat there listening, but soon I'd had enough. 'Neither of you need to go on a diet you are just being stupid!' I told them straight. A big argument soon erupted that ended up with me storming off home and Helen chasing after me.

My best friend is anorexic

'Beth! Beth! Look don't be upset, it's just I do think I'm fat but...' Helen had hit a raw nerve, 'Helen, You're Not Bloody Fat! There's nothing to you!' I yelled.

'If you are anorexic or bulimic I want you to tell me right now! If not then you must promise me that you never will be. So, are you?' Helen just looked at me. I was devastated, because her silence meant she was.


She told me her daily food plan...


After the big bust up we didn't talk for a while. But I couldn't let my friend starve herselve to death. I knew I had to swallow my pride and talk to her.

Helen and I had many discussions about her problems, I thought that talking would help her. But then one day she told me her daily food plan. Which goes as follows:

Breakfast: Nothing

Lunch: Nothing

Dinner: Some

But the thing was the 'some' food she had for dinner she later 'got rid of'. Basically she would leave the table, go upstairs and puke it out.

So basically her entire intake of food each day was about enough to keep a hamster alive, if that.

I soon figured out that her mad eating plans weren't just about losing weight. Helen believed she was partly to blame for her parents recent divorce, and she didn't like her mum's new Boyfriend. The bulimia was a cry for help and attention.

I told her she was stupid. I told her she was beautiful, that she was thin. Too thin. She didn't listen. I cried most nights because I couldn't make her better.


She passed out


“I'd heard about people dying from anorexia”

One day in our summer holidays we'd all been sitting on the field. But I'd gone in for my dinner. I couldn't face watching Helen pick at her food, going on about how fat she was.

Minutes later Em came running up to me 'Beth, don't get angry, but last Tuesday Helen fainted on the school field and she's just done it again.'

I rushed over to her. She was lying on the grass, she looked so small, so thin. 'This is stupid,' I screamed at everyone. 'I'm taking her to my mum, this can't go on,' I said.

Mum was great, but even I could see she was shocked by the state of Helen.

She sat her down and just made her eat magic stars, a banana, and a glass of water. She watched her eat the whole lot, and then she stayed with her so she couldn't puke it up.

'You really really scared me,' I told Helen. 'This isn't funny anymore, please will you try and get better?' I asked her.


Helen knew that she had to change...


My best friend had bulimia

She promised me that she would try really hard to get better. 'I know that this isn't the right way to live,' she told me. 'I will try. Our friendship is too important to me.'

I knew that she meant it, but I also knew what a strong grip the illness had on her and it wasn't going to be an easy journey back to normality for any of us.

Helen started seeing the school counsellor, but she was still really thin. And I got really suspicious that she might still be puking secretly.

It was like, every time she went to the loo I was suspecting her. That's not a great way to be.

She needed someone looking out for her the whole time, but her mum was hardly ever home and there was no-one making sure that she was eating right at home.


It was a cry for help...


“You have to count your blessings”

We finally convinced her to tell her Nan, who has been making her eat, but keeping it down is a different story.

She's just so devious and will tell any lie to make us think she's eating normally.

Even though I love my friend her behaviour can be quite annoying. I have to spend so much of my life worrying about her, and I just get loads of abuse in return. She still needs medical help, and I will get her it.

All she really wants is for her mum too notice, but she's to wrapped up in her love life! So if you're reading this Mrs Lewis, buck up your ideas and notice your daughter's cry for help!

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