My 14 year old daughter is eating and purging and she won't stop. She has really bad self esteem and it seems to be getting worse. What do I do?

drmay February 12, 2009 2:21 PM

What is most critical to understand about Eating Disorders is that they are an expression of an emotional problem. Your daughters behaviors are suggesting that she is struggling and you can be of great support to her by letting her know that you are committed to being in discovery with her about what is going on for her and for your family. Eating Disorders are also one of the most dynamic disorders- meaning that they can stem from a multitude of things and reasons. Because of this, I highly recommend you enroll a professional team in supporting your family and your daughter in this. A great place to start would be to find a therapist who specializes in eating disorders and they can then match you with other health professionals as well who may assist you.