Okay , so I have a friend who has diabetes and is also obsessed with being skinny. So obsessed that she is not taking care of her diabetes on purpose so that she can lose some of her weight.. I don't know how to approach her or what to say. Any ideas??
you are a good friend to care! i think this is unofficially called diabulimia... and you need to help her get help. not taking care of her diabetes is EXTREMELY unhealthy, and she'll have a way higher risk of developing complications (ie blindness, cardiovascular damage). i don't have many ideas, but approach this as an eating disorder.
I don't know how well this will work, but you can start by telling her (in private) that you love her, she's a great friend, and you want her to be around for a long time. The complications that will arise from her misguided actions may make her thinner, but (if she's athletic, it'll basically make her unable to compete in sports- I know this first hand, if you need more information about it, message me) it will severely hinder her quality of life. Blindness, amputation, and neuropathy are very real problems. Her hair will probably fall out if it goes on for too long. I don't know what she wants to do with her life, but high blood sugars make school very difficult. Everything's fuzzy and it makes learning and remembering difficult, and almost impossible. You could suggest that the two of you start eating healthier and working out together - cut the junk food (it's okay to have one day of the week, every week, where you splurge a little bit), do some cardio a few times a week (walking/jogging) and mabe lift some weights a couple times a week. Do pilates or yoga (an excuse to buy more yoga pants :D). Diabulimia is an eating disorder, so also tell her, if she ever wants to/needs to talk to anyone that you're there for her - be there for her. Eating disorders are psyhological disorders, but tthis does not make her crazy. Her need to be skinny probably comes from some other emotional stress. I'm not saying that you need to be her therapist, just be a good friend (I can already tell that you are because you're seeking help for her) and be there for her. I hope this is helpful. And if she ever needs a supportive community of people to vent to or talk about things with, this website is a great place.
www.msnbc.msn.com/.../21692426
Here is a really good article on diabulimia