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Can my parents legally make me go to treatment for bulimia? Help, please!?
Question : Can my parents legally make me go to treatment for bulimia? Help, please!?
I’m 17 years old. My parents found out that I purge after eating. They sent me to see a therapist (who doesn’t even specialize in Eating Disorders), and after finding out I’ve been doing this over two years, she made me attend an outpatient program for two weeks. I didn’t “improve” so they’re making me go to an inpatient program in another state?!? I’m a senior in high school, I will be 18 in July, I only have a few months of school left- I don’t want to spend these best months of my life in a treatment center away from my friends.
How can I make them stop?! I tried to express my concerns but no one would hear it- not even my therapist!!! I’m not even bulimic, I barely have any problem, sure I throw up sometimes but does that make it ok to do this to me?!
Do I legally have to go to this center? Do I have any other options?
Thank You.
treatment options for bulimia
Best answer:
Answer by carolina10920
Techniqually you are not 18 yet so yes you have to go.
Before i get into the legal details, I want to tell you somethings associatd with Bulimia Nervosa
First off, Bullimia nervosa is a eating disorder( disturbance in eating behaviour in fear of gaining weight) and bulimia nervosa itself is repeated episodes of binge eating with compensatory behaviours like vomitting or extreme exercise. women are ten time smroe liekly to get them then men and develop in the teens and early twenties. I also want to tell you that for some bulimia co occurs with depression and anxiety disorders. Medical complications include 1) eroded enamel from teeth(vomit is acidic so youll have ugly teeth after lots of vomitting), 2) Rumination, reguratation and rechewing of food, 3) Enlargement of salivary glands(makes your face fatter, ironic?) 4) Electrolyte imbalance and 5) ruptures of stomachor esophagus leading to death (this is rare, but do you still want to give it a chance of occuring)
So eventually your body will become very fat in the face because of enlarged salivary glands, your smile will not be as good, and so on
Psychology and Law
Ok so this is the part your interested in
Under the law you are not an adult yet and thus you are treated at the discretion of your parents and psychologist, however even if you are an adult, you can be treated at inpatient or outpatient basis through civil commitment
Civil commitment
Civil commitment is a process for treatment of the mentally ill which can last a short period or long period (since this doesnt apply to you I wont go further about it)
Nutshell
Ya, you gotta go. And please stop, your beautiful just the way you are. You don’t need to binge to be pretty, because your pretty naturally already so why spoil yourself