Therapist?

Is there any way that you could go to a therapist and drive there and such without them knowing? Could a friend help you out? Do you have your license and a car that you could use to drive there? I am sure there are places that would allow you to go there without your parent's consent. Sorry I am not very knowledgeable about therapy. Hopefully someone else will chime in.

 

If you don't want to explain to them all of the issues you are dealing with you could always say that you have been feeling really stressed about going away to college, and that you are starting to notice the stress levels are really affecting you negatively and you want to talk things through with someone. That's a very real possible issue that many people deal with that they might be going to a therapist for, but it doesn't really get into the more private and personal issues you are dealing with. Then they will understand why you want to go to some extent but not fully. Maybe that would help?

 

Presumably, you're still in high school. And I believe every high school has a counselor. That might be your best bet for a first stop. You can tell him/her about your desire to see a therapist (you don't have to go into the reasons with him/her if you'd rather not), and your concerns about your parents. S/he's presumably seen this set up before, and will have some ideas how best to go about it.

Lex

 

Lex is right. Talk to your high school counselor and they can help you. Also, if you can't talk to the counselor because they're busy, try talking to the school nurse. They might be able to give you names of local therapists, information, and tips for asking your parents.

 

Agree.

You know with all these accesibility issues coming up, I might want to advocate for online therapist utilising skype! lol.

 

Well you dont have to explain everything to your parents. You can just tell them that there is something really bothering you that you dont understand, and you would rather talk with a therapist than with them. Not because you dont trust them, but because you feel like it is better if you talk to a professional.

I think that its great that you are even willing to see a therapist. Most people would rather ignore their problems. In result, seeing someone could help you to work out some issues with your family. Scratch that, It will DEFIANTLY help work out some issues with your family.

Best wishes:icon_bigg

 

One thing I will say is that it might be better if you did some research and went to them with a particular counselor you want to see. That way, you can try to make sure it will be someone who has some kind of experience with eating disorders and hopefully also the right attitude toward gay people. If you have them find the therapist without knowing what it's for, you may very well end up with someone who isn't really equipped to help you.

 

I don't know how old you are, but I'm assuming you're not that far from college. I'm not necessarily saying that you should wait until then, because, having struggled with food issues myself, I know how out of hand things can get, but I do want to point out that it may be easier to see a therapist once you're college (if you go away to school at least). When you are a minor there are all sorts of rules and guidelines as to what your counselor/therapist can and/or must share with your parents, and this can make things tricky. When you do see someone (if you are still a minor) make sure to ask questions about these guidelines and boundaries so that you're very clear on what to expect. I would hate for you to be blindsided and write off therapy as a result. The therapeutic process is a very positive thing--we can all benefit tremendously from it. Good luck!

 

Hi Blankpaper,
Good for you for recognizing your struggles and being willing to seek support in overcoming them!!! Colleges have wonderful counsellors (I know mine did!) who are available to help you navigate personal issues as well as academic ones. That said, disordered eating is serious and can get out of control fast so you may not want to wait until college. It might be a good idea to discuss it with your doctor and have her/him help you approach your parents with treatment options.

 

Maybe explain to them that you have some personal issues that you arent ready to share with them and seeing a therapist will help you be able to open up to them.

 

Agh... I beg to differ. High school counselor... BAD IDEA!
Maybe things are different in your country. But I know high school counselors, I grew up with one (my older sister) and all her other counselor friends.

They are the worst people to trust your secrets with.

My advice, is a really large diary, Lady Gaga's- Born This Way, and lots and lots of patience and perseverance. Elton John is right, IT DOES GET BETTER and if your fat (assuming you eating condition), then its not hard to make healthier food choices.

I love to eat myself. And eat when I don't even need to (all the time. I am eating a Kit Katt right now -.-) but I make sure to drink my green juices, every morning and every night.

Everyone in university is fat! o_o and the last thing you need is someone telling you that you need to do x-y and Z and really all you need to be doing is paying attention to your school work.

If you however don't have the confidence as I do, and feel you must talk to a person and not a cat (they really do listen and never repeat your secrets), then be my guest. But after drawing a couple faces, looking at pictures and answering "how does that make you feel?" several times, you will know what I am saying >_<

 

I don't think overeating is the most likely ED for her to be referring to. And the others can be life-threatening, in a much more immediate way. Very few people think of moderate overeating as "disordered eating." And if she were overeating extremely, her family would definitely know. This is an eating disorder that she is concealing--so probably some kind of bulimia. If so, she should definitely seek treatment.

Even if it is overeating, if it actually meets the criteria to be diagnosed as a disorder, it most certainly would be difficult for her to "make healthier food choices." For overeating to be a disorder, it must be compulsive.

 

Good luck!