This page includes suggestions to help yourself if you are not quite ready to see a counselor. I realize that of these suggestions are a lot harder to do than they sound, but that's the challege. Challenge yourself to feel better about you!
As this is meant to help those with eating disorders, it is NOT a substitute for therapy! Left untreated, eating disorders can become life-threatening. If you are concerned about your own or another's eating patterns, it is strongly recommended that you seek professional help.

Talk to someone!
Dealing with things alone is not a good way to get through tough times. Talk to a trusted friend or someone who will listen to how you feel. You don't necessarily have to talk about eating issues; talking about how you feel in general will reduce stress and tension in yourself, which may exacerbate your eating problem.

Write in a journal
If you find it hard to talk to a friend, try keeping a journal of your day and how you are feeling. It is good to get things out, even on paper, and it can be very theraputic. Many people with eating disorders have trouble expressing their feelings and writing in a journal is a good way to start to express yourself. In this way, you won't have to worry about what other people think and you won't have to divulge any secrets that you aren't ready to. Just make sure that you keep this in a safe place.

Keep a food journal
Try keeping a food journal. Write down what you eat, when, and how you were feeling at the time. This might help you identify what emotions or situations cause you to over eat or restrict. Stressors and a feeling of a lack of control are often triggers to this kind of behavior. Once you are able to recognize what triggers more intense feelings about food and weight, you will be better equiped to deal with those feelings. For example, say you fail a test and your immediate reaction is to binge to make yourself feel better. Recognize that it is the "F" that is making you feel bad and try to find another way to make yourself feel better, such as talking to a friend about it or just crying to get it out.

Don't criticize yourself so much
Don't beat yourself up about everything that you do. Realize that no one is perfect, including you, and accept that. Try to give yourself a little slack once in a while. If you don't do well on a test, study more or in a different way next time. Think about things in the bigger picture: Is it really going to matter that you got one "F" on one test in one class 4 years from now? I doubt it.

Be positive
Try to recognize when you're having negative thoughts and try to stop them! Don't constantly degrade yourself, instead give yourself positive comments. For every negative thought, counter it with two positives. Rememer that you do have worth and you do matter.

Build self-esteem
Take out a piece of paper and a pen and write down ten positive things about yourself. If you cna't think of ten right now, write as many as you can and fill the rest in later. If you have over ten that you want to write down, than the do it! Keep this list by your bed and look at them evey morning when you wake up to give yourself a boost. Also, look at them when you are feeling down to remind yourself of your good qualities.

FEEL your feelings
When you get the urge to binge or restrict, try thinking about what's really bothering you-and don't say your weight! Think deeper: What is going on in my life right now that I feel the need to do this? Answer yourself honestly and then try to deal with it in a more constructive way. You can always call a friend or write in a journal.

Do something constructive
Instead of binging and/or purging, try to calm yourself down. Stop for ten minutes before you do anything and think about it: Do I really need to binge/purge? (Actually, even vomiting immediately after you eat fails to rid your body of all the calories that you've ingested, and laxatives and diuretics are virutally ineffective as well.) Try counting to 100 and then re-evaluate the situation. These steps might help you regain control over impulsive behaviors. You might also want to try going for a walk, calling a friend, or writing in your journal.

Find another coping mechanism
Many people with an eating disorder are using food as a coping mechanism. As I have said over and over again, it is useful to find a friend to talk to or to write in a journal. Friends often have good advice and can help you see things in perspective when you are over reacting. You also should try to employ problem-solving techniques that reduce stress and help with problems, rather than stuffing yourself with food which gets you no where.

Do something nice for yourself
Take some time out of your day to do something just for you. Maybe there is something that you wanted to do but never got around to. Or maybe you've missed your favorite television show all semester because of school work, so give yourself a half hour break to watch it. Buy healthy foods, limit the amount of junk foods you eat, and exercise moderately. Learn to respect yourself and your body.