so im thinking about reaching out. kind of

[Loveliz]

so im kind of thinking about like seeing a therapist. the thing is i dont want to tell my mom that i have an eating disorder. and im not sixteen so i cant drive myself. but like shes deffinately been noticing that i havent been eating a lot and that ive been loosing weight. i dont think she thinks its as serious as it is though. im not going to tell her i have an ed but im thinking of telling her like the reason why i havent been eating so much is because whenever i eat i feel so gross whenever i eat and that i want to see someone to make me not feel like that anymore. do you think if i said that though she would like deffinately like put all the peices together and know i have an ed because i dont want that to happen. and plus when i see someone if i told the therapist that i had an eating disorder would they tell my mom ? like would they keep it a secret or is that something they legally have to tell the parent ? im just scared and i dont know if this is right but i hate feeling like this and i really need help. i seriously dont want my mom to know though it would hurt her too much and i dont want anyone to worry about me and get all on my case. and like what would the therapist do and what do i say and what is the first visit like ? if anyone went can they just share their experience too maybe too ? and would i even need to tell the therapist i have an eating disorder or can i just tell them how i feel when i eat. or like do they classify eating disorders like if they put all the peices together do they medically classify this as an eating disorder and then tell my parents ? im just so nervous and i have so many thoughts running through my head right now

[Harlequin.]

Hey there lovely,

I think it's absolutely brilliant you're thinking about reaching out. It's an important step forward, and I'm proud of you. You don't deserve this hell, and this is an important step towards the light <3

Firstly: Therapist. Well, I'm not entirely sure about the laws where you are, but generally therapists have a rule of confidentiality that's only broken if you're in severe danger, or very high risk, for example if you were at high risk for committing suicide. I'd imagine you'd be encouraged to tell your Mom, but I don't think they'd have to tell her.

As for speaking to the therapist- just tell her exactly how you're feeling. They'll be able to help you, and of course you don't have to self diagnose yourself! That's their job, although they may ask you what you think is wrong.

The first appointment will probably be an "assessment", where the therapist will determine what the problem is, and how best to help you.

Telling your Mom might not be a bad idea. I know you don't want to worry her, but you need her right now and that's okay. She honestly will just want to help you best she can. If you let her know you didn't want her to be too overbearing, that's okay and I'm sure she'd respect your wishes. It's important to have a support network around you.

Be brave. You can beat this. I'm always here if you want to talk, okay? <3