How do you tell someone about your eating disorder?

I have been bulimic for about two and a half years, on and off. Sometimes it was a lot worse than others. Right now, I'm doing pretty good. I haven't binged/purged for about a month, which I'm pretty sure is the longest I've gone.

I am thinking of telling my boyfriend. We live together and have been dating for 2 years. But I don't know how to tell him. I don't know if he will really understand what I am telling him or maybe that he won't know how to react. I don't know. I just would like to have someone to support me and someone I can talk to...I'm just not sure that he is the right person just yet. But at the same time, we are in a serious realationship and the longer I keep this part of who I am and what I've gone thru from him, the worse I feel.

It crossed my mind to try and find some type of support group or something. I know the local hospital holds one for eds. But I just don't feel like I would belong, because (forgive me, I know how ignorant this sounds) I've just never felt like I ever really had a real problem. I don't know...sometimes I can see that I have a serious problem, but most of the time I just don't  think that I am bad enough to get help. Especially recently.

Any opinions or thoughts? How did you tell someone?

Print this post and hand it to the person you want to tell.

Where you say that you just never feel like you really have a serious problem you're exhibiting a potential sign of your eating disorder.  Did you know that for some people all it takes is one purge or one more purge to create a deathly electrolyte imbalance?

Your parents are a good place to start, so is a clergymember or school counselor.  If you're in a serious relationship, then your significant other should also make the list of who to tell.  Be aware that it may take them a few days or even longer to start to understand what you've been telling them, particularly since you're saying that you don't have a serious problem.  Hiding it and downplaying it is just another trick that your mind can play on you.

When I told my sisters and friends about my binge eating disorder, I talked to them for a long, long time to make sure they really understood what was going on. Sit them down seriously, and let them know that you are not expecting them to be able to do anything for you, you just want to share because it is a big concern of yours and a part of your past. Let them know you just want to share because you TRUST them. Talk about the misconceptions of bulimia, address them, answer them, and answer his questions for you. 

I feel the same way as you! It's so hard to share with people, because I feel like most people just don't understand. I would hate for people to KNOW about my problem but not UNDERSTAND. It would kill me. A lot of people think that things like binge eating is greed/overindulgence; they don't understand I really don't like to do this, that I cry while I am stuffing my face. 2 years ago I would have never understood that either-- that this is a disease, it is psychological and it may also be physical too, because we do a lot of harm to our bodies and brains when we don't feed ourselves right! 

Write down everything you want to tell him. Start from the beginning. Maybe type it up and just have him just READ it first. 

When I talked to my sisters I made them watch these 2 videos on youtube, because this girl in the video explains binge eating disorder so well, and she is almost an exact replica of me. Same history, same body type, almost the same EVERYTHING. She even has a twin sister, and so do I. She explained it better than I ever could, so I made my sisters watch the videos.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3WV6AXf8M0&am p;feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIEOyrPF9nU&am p;feature=related

I think you will feel a lot better if you put a little thought into how you want to do this so that you do it the "right" way-- help him to understand what you are going through.

Good luck!

I think you should talk to your boyfriend about it after you have something in place to help you fix it. I'd look for therapists or group sessions in your area that can help you with the disorder, and then tell your boyfriend:

"I have an unhealthy relationship with food, and I'm seeking help so I can understand how to fix it"

Hopefully he asks YOU questions about what you're talking about. You don't have to tell him what it is off the bat. You don't have to overwhelm him. He might need some time to fully understand it. Don't get upset if he doesn't understand. You shouldn't expect him to. Don't push him to learn every detail about it. Bulemia is personal to you. It's something you are experiencing, and you need to get help for. Can't expect him to fix you, or save you from moments you might purge, but just to understand that you're going through something rough. It'll be good to clear your head from it and it's probably best if he knows.