Is my daughter bulimic?

"Bulimia is a pathology that can come from a feeling of insecurity felt by the child from the first months of life, due to an anxious mother, who is afraid of not doing well and which is notseconded by a secure father, ”explains Virginie Megglé, psychoanalyst.

"But it can also be favored by stress, especially when adolescents follow difficult courses, such as prepas or grandes écoles.The permanent pressure in which they live does not give them time to listen to themselves, their sensations: they drink too much, they eat too much and get vomited.»»

My daughter robs the fridge every day, should I let her do it?

Look at what she throws in the fridge: chocolate cakes or cold pasta, cheese and butter?Make the difference between snacking or sweet compulsions to calm anxiety during exams, and a bulimic attitude, where the teenager absorbs large amounts of food in secret without controlling himself.

Bulimia is associated with weight control strategies: fasting or excessive sporting practice, in a desire to lose calories.Also pay attention to drinking consumption.Does it drink several liters of water, tea, herbal tea a day?Or soda light?She may know that, taken in large quantities, sweeteners have a laxative effect.To empty the fridge is his way of alerting you to his distress.

Talk to her with her.If these are just a few delicacies, it may fill stress before exams, it is not very serious.Otherwise, consult, without dramatizing, your family doctor, if she has good contact and self -confidence.He will assess the problem and direct you to a specialized service.

She hides food in her room, should I take her away?

First of all, is it one or two candy or cake papers that you found in its trash can, or a disturbing amount of packaging?In the second case, hidden bulimia is probably in question.

This type of behavior can be favored by a conflicting family situation, where meals become painful (parents competing, rivalry or concern in siblings).The tension is then such that the teenager has an appetite cut and takes refuge in her room to eat quietly.

Do not hesitate to verbalize her concerns and ask her if she needs help.Regular consumption of cannabis can also associate with food disorganization and an increase in appetite for sweet.Think about it if your daughter is aggressive and folded over herself, and shares less and less moments with the family.

She “launches” between meals and does not eat anything at the table, should I prevent it?

Snacking all the time is a way to cut your hunger, to be able to jump meals and lose weight.This is a symptom of anorexia.By consuming especially and often fast sugars, these teenagers sometimes hold without making real meals.High consumption of drinks is often associated.

Do not store this kind of food and be attentive to its silhouette, because often parents (too) late a significant weight loss in their daughter, which often overlaps the clothes of clothing.It is important to take him to consult, to make a diagnosis on his behavior and help him.

Barely out of the table, she eats again without hunger, why?

This is a type of bulimia crisis that starts in the extension of the meal.The teenager can no longer stop eating, especially sweet products (cakes, cookies, chocolate, etc.).Try to avoid any temptation.This behavior can also be triggered by a specific food.It is sometimes associated with a difficulty in controlling emotions, hyperemotivity, impulsivity.

This need to consume, to want everything for yourself, can be linked to strong anxieties, the impression of feeling unloved, a lack of self -esteem.Your daughter eats hoping to get a calm.We are talking in this case of anxious hyperphagia.You must then treat the anxiety of your daughter to see this food problem solving.

I surprised him being vomited, how to react?

Vomiting - which can occur after a bolimia crisis or a normal meal - are the sign of anorexia, a fortiori if the teenager is skinny.

Anyway, as soon as there is vomiting, you must take him to consult, whether he agrees or not.Preferably in a specialized service, but if the wait is long, make an appointment with your general practitioner, because vomiting can cause potassium loss with heart remedies.