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Say you need to tell them something important and tell them what you hope to get from them from the conversation.  There are a number of things that you might want:  If you just want them to listen and offer emotional support, let them know that. If you want their advice, let them know. If you need their financial support, e.g., to see a mental health professional, mention that. You need to let them know that you want to have a serious conversation in private. This means starting the conversation in a general kind of way that conveys that you have a problem you want to discuss without getting into the specifics just yet. Here are some examples of broad conversation starters:  "I have a problem that I need to tell you about. Can we go somewhere private to talk?" "I could really use your advice on an issue I'm having. Can we go for a walk?" "I really need your help with something private; I want to talk to you alone about it." Try to remember that they may not know certain things about you, or that they may see the world a bit differently than you do. As you have the conversation, try to keep their perspectives in mind to ensure that you are all on the same page. As you are explaining things, keep track of their faces. If either parent looks confused, ask them if anything you said is unclear. Make sure you tell your parents all the information that you have about your eating disorder. Do you suspect that you have an eating disorder but have never been diagnosed by a mental health professional? There are also many kinds of eating disorders that are treated differently and that can have different negative effects on your health. This is all information your parents should know. Be sure to describe if you have:  Anorexia nervosa, which involves an inadequate consumption of food leading to low body weight. Binge eating disorder, which involves recurrent episodes of eating large quantities of food. Bulimia nervosa, which involves recurrent episodes of eating large quantities of food followed by behaviors that are intended to reduce weight gain, such as vomiting. Eating disorder not otherwise specified (NOS). This may include, for example, night eating syndrome (eating excessively at night), purging disorder (purging without first binge eating), or atypical anorexia nervosa (in which weight is within the normal range). Once you have pulled your parents aside and disclosed to them that you have an eating disorder, allow them to ask you some questions. Answer as best as you can, and be honest with them.  If you don't know the answer to one of their questions, it's fine to say that you don't know. If you don't want to answer one of their questions, tell them this. However, keep in mind that you parents love you and want to help. If what they are asking is relevant to your eating disorder, think carefully about your decision to not answer. Once you have had the conversation with them, remind them what your goals are and what you need from your parents to accomplish your goals. This could be a stay in an eating disorder clinic or to get mental health counseling. If you aren't sure what your goals are, or if you just wanted to express your feelings to your parents, ask them for advice. It can't hurt, and most parents love to give their children advice. If you prepared reading materials for them before having the conversation, pass them out to your parents. Give them some time to read the materials. Before parting ways, however, setup another time to meet with them for after they have read up on your specific eating disorder. Make sure not to overwhelm them with too many materials or with material that is not relevant to your specific eating disorder. Sometimes the conversation could get emotionally rocky. You may feel that your parents aren't being as understanding as you'd hoped for, or that they don't believe you, or that they don't recognize that eating disorders are very real and serious medical disorders. Despite any of the scenarios, try to keep the conversation mature and adult-like, as anything besides that won't get you very far toward getting the help you need.  If you find your parents are not understanding you or that you are getting upset for whatever reason, consider trying to have the conversation again at a later time when you are not as upset. There is a chance that your parents will view your disorder as their fault. However, it is important to keep the conversation on track, either by them offering you the emotional support that you need, or by offering advice, or by getting you into treatment.

Summary:
Tell them what you need. Start broad. Keep your parents' perspective in mind. Update them on what you know. Give them time to absorb and to ask basic questions. Tell them your plan of action. Give them reading materials. Avoid whining or arguing. Mention they are not to blame.