addictchild

So, bulimia nervosa. My sixteen year old forced herself to vomit.

I did not know whether bulimia was an important factor, how serious it could be. I did not know if an eating disorder was a common thread for alcoholics. She hid her secret. Laura appeared well.

Foolishly I did not interrogate, I ignored the force of bulimia, for I know now that young women with bulimia nervosa are at greater risk of substance abuse. Betraying confidences? I have her blessing. For all the pain she has sent my way, I do merit her with having a generous spirit.

I shall not delve into the world of eating disorders. I can only show how discovering this trait affected me. Show you through my eyes, tell you what happened back then. We compromised: I gave her salads, with added protein.

She was not stick thin. She did not look gaunt.

My daughter was preparing for deception she told me bulimia was no longer a problem. I believed her. I will say she had greedy episodes – but then don’t we all?

One last comment before leaving the topic of bulimia: in her demise Laura accused the abuse of food to be responsible for her wayward spending. I never believed this.

We knew the culprit for expense, it came out of a bottle, not a cake wrapper.