--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'm not a bulimic, I'm a bulimist, I love…" description: "\"“I'm not a bulimic, I'm a bulimist, I love bulimia.”\" — Stephen Chbosky" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be8/stephen-chbosky-387_bulimia_i-m-not-a-bulimic-i-m-a-bulimist-i-love_2771194.png" --- # I'm not a bulimic, I'm a bulimist, I love bulimia. ![“I'm not a bulimic, I'm a bulimist, I love bulimia.” quote by Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be8/stephen-chbosky-387_bulimia_i-m-not-a-bulimic-i-m-a-bulimist-i-love_2771194.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be8/stephen-chbosky-387_bulimia_i-m-not-a-bulimic-i-m-a-bulimist-i-love_2771194.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be8/stephen-chbosky-387_bulimia_i-m-not-a-bulimic-i-m-a-bulimist-i-love_2771194.png) > ““I'm not a bulimic, I'm a bulimist, I love bulimia.”” [Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A sarcastic twist on self‑identification highlights the struggle with eating disorders and self‑image. **In simple terms:** He jokes about bulimia to mask pain. Key Takeaway Address underlying issues, not just labels. Themes mental health self‑image humor Mood empathetic critical Type literary cautionary When to use this quote - therapy - support groups - youth counseling - creative writing Key Concepts psychology literature Questions to Reflect On - How does humor help or hurt coping? - What healthier ways express struggle? A Different Perspective Humor can trivialize serious illness; sensitivity is needed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bulimia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bulimia/) [Bulimic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bulimic/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) ## Related quotes > [Why? You want to know why? Listen to the whispers that curl into your head at night, calling you ugly and fat and stupid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-halse-anderson/why-you-want-to-know-why-listen-to-the-whispers-that-curl-into-your/) [Laurie Halse Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-halse-anderson/) > [“A bulimic person may be so disconnected from her experience that she does not even know what she needs or wants. If she does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheila-m-reindl/a-bulimic-person-may-be-so-disconnected-from-her-experience-that-she/) [Sheila M. Reindl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheila-m-reindl/) > [“As she continually disregards and overrides her body's signals of hunger, fullness, and fatigue, a bulimic woman becomes increasingly disconnected from her subjective experience.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheila-m-reindl/as-she-continually-disregards-and-overrides-her-body-s-signals-of/) [Sheila M. Reindl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheila-m-reindl/) > [“If you put the wrong foods in your body, you are contaminated and dirty and your stomach swells. Then the voice says, Why did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bethany-pierce/if-you-put-the-wrong-foods-in-your-body-you-are-contaminated-and/) [Bethany Pierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bethany-pierce/) > [“A bulimic person's shame may lead her to try to hide not only her eating-disorder behaviors but also her basic needs and yearnings. She…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheila-m-reindl/a-bulimic-person-s-shame-may-lead-her-to-try-to-hide-not-only-her/) [Sheila M. Reindl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheila-m-reindl/) > [“But who am I if I'm not Janie the bulimic? Bulimia has become so much a part of me that I can't remember what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-darer-littman/but-who-am-i-if-i-m-not-janie-the-bulimic-bulimia-has-become-so-much/) [Sarah Darer Littman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-darer-littman/) > [I've decided that perhaps I'm bulimic and just keep forgetting to purge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-poundstone/i-ve-decided-that-perhaps-i-m-bulimic-and-just-keep-forgetting-to/) [Paula Poundstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-poundstone/) > [I'm a former bulimic myself and it's a horrible, horrible addiction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-dickinson/i-m-a-former-bulimic-myself-and-it-s-a-horrible-horrible-addiction/) [Janice Dickinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janice-dickinson/) > [“You okay?" Just waiting for the water to boil. Burning shower. One of the only things that helps when I'm totally freaking out." I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-borris/you-okay-just-waiting-for-the-water-to-boil-burning-shower-one-of-the/) [Albert Borris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-borris/) > [Now the whole dizzying and delirious range of sexual possibilities has been boiled down to that one big, boring, bulimic word. RELATIONSHIP.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-burchill/now-the-whole-dizzying-and-delirious-range-of-sexual-possibilities/) [Julie Burchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-burchill/) > [I was bulimic and anorexic for a while, just hating my body. As an actress, I was never thin enough, never pretty enough. My…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felicity-huffman/i-was-bulimic-and-anorexic-for-a-while-just-hating-my-body-as-an/) [Felicity Huffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felicity-huffman/) > [In high school, I was probably 155 - I wanted to run fast and get a scholarship, so, it was drilled in me that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bianca-belair/in-high-school-i-was-probably-155-i-wanted-to-run-fast-and-get-a/) [Bianca Belair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bianca-belair/) > [I stopped eating fattening food and, before I knew what had happened, I was bulimic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-coulthard/i-stopped-eating-fattening-food-and-before-i-knew-what-had-happened-i/) [David Coulthard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-coulthard/) > [Take your diamonds and throw em up like you're bulimic. Yeah, the beat cold, but the flow is anemic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kanye-west/take-your-diamonds-and-throw-em-up-like-you-re-bulimic-yeah-the-beat/) [Kanye West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kanye-west/) > [“I WAS LIKE . . . LIKE A GROUPIE FOR ALL OF THESE DOWNTOWN GUYS . . . I WAS—I AM—BULIMIC AND OBSESSED WITH MY LOOKS . . . I THOUGHT THAT MY…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cat-marnell/i-was-like-like-a-groupie-for-all-of-these-downtown-guys-i-was-i-am/) [Cat Marnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cat-marnell/) ## More by Stephen Chbosky > [Sam dropped me off. When she was too far away to see me, I started to cry again. Because she was my friend again.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chbosky/sam-dropped-me-off-when-she-was-too-far-away-to-see-me-i-started-to/) [Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/) > [“It's great that you can listen and be a shoulder to someone, but what about when someone doesn't need a shoulder. What if they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chbosky/it-s-great-that-you-can-listen-and-be-a-shoulder-to-someone-but-what/) [Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/) > [Most of the people I know who were raised to be accommodating or were raised to just be nice and put everybody's needs ahead…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chbosky/most-of-the-people-i-know-who-were-raised-to-be-accommodating-or-were/) [Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/) > [I don’t want to start thinking again. Not like I have this last week. I can’t think again. Not ever again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chbosky/i-don-t-want-to-start-thinking-again-not-like-i-have-this-last-week-i/) [Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/) > [“And then Patrick started running after the sunset. And Sam immediately followed him. And I saw them in silhouette. Running after the sun. Then,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chbosky/and-then-patrick-started-running-after-the-sunset-and-sam-immediately/) [Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/) > [That was always my hope that that is exactly what I would do. It was always part of the dream of this story -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chbosky/that-was-always-my-hope-that-that-is-exactly-what-i-would-do-it-was/) [Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/) > [And she says she wants to expose me to all these great things. And to tell you the truth, I don't really want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chbosky/and-she-says-she-wants-to-expose-me-to-all-these-great-things-and-to/) [Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/) > [“I'm sorry I bothered you, Susan. I'm just having a tough time. That's all. Have a good one," I said and walked away.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chbosky/i-m-sorry-i-bothered-you-susan-i-m-just-having-a-tough-time-that-s/) [Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/) > [When we were all getting ready to leave, I walked up to my grandfather and gave him a hug and kiss on the cheek.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chbosky/when-we-were-all-getting-ready-to-leave-i-walked-up-to-my-grandfather/) [Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/) > [It's like he would take a photograph of Sam, and the photograph would be beautiful. And he would think that the reason the photograph…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chbosky/it-s-like-he-would-take-a-photograph-of-sam-and-the-photograph-would/) [Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/) > [Five minutes of a lifetime were truly spent, and we felt young in a good way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chbosky/five-minutes-of-a-lifetime-were-truly-spent-and-we-felt-young-in-a/) [Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/) > [I feel like a big faker because I've been putting my life back together, and nobody knows.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chbosky/i-feel-like-a-big-faker-because-i-ve-been-putting-my-life-back/) [Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/) > [“So, this is my life. And I want you to know I am both happy and sad and I'm still trying to figure out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chbosky/so-this-is-my-life-and-i-want-you-to-know-i-am-both-happy-and-sad-and/) [Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/) > [If you care about somebody, you should want them to be happy. Even if you wind up being left out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chbosky/if-you-care-about-somebody-you-should-want-them-to-be-happy-even-if/) [Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/) > [I wasn't raised very religiously because my parents went to Catholic school, but I do believe in God very much. I just never gave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chbosky/i-wasn-t-raised-very-religiously-because-my-parents-went-to-catholic/) [Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/) [Explore all 558 Stephen Chbosky quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/) ## More Bulimia quotes > [ “Emma cites the structure of the \[Eating Disorder\] Unit as being important to her decision to disengage from her illness, and the fact that… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-lee/emma-cites-the-structure-of-the-eating-disorder-unit-as-being/) [Carol Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-lee/) > [Becoming the new feminine ideal requires just the right combination of insecurity, exercise, bulimia and surgery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/becoming-the-new-feminine-ideal-requires-just-the-right-combination/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Especially as a chef, I didn't really want to talk about it because I felt like it kind of undermined my entire career. How…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-whaite/especially-as-a-chef-i-didn-t-really-want-to-talk-about-it-because-i/) [John Whaite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-whaite/) > [In the '80s, I did two hours of cardio every day, split between running and the stationary bike. It was a trap - afterward…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/skip-bayless/in-the-80s-i-did-two-hours-of-cardio-every-day-split-between-running/) [Skip Bayless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/skip-bayless/) > [“So there you have it--my sorry tale. That's how something I though I controlled ended up controlling me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-darer-littman/so-there-you-have-it-my-sorry-tale-that-s-how-something-i-though-i/) [Sarah Darer Littman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-darer-littman/) > [We think of bulimia and anorexia as either a bizarre psychosis, or as a quirky little habit, a phase, or as a thing that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marya-hornbacher/we-think-of-bulimia-and-anorexia-as-either-a-bizarre-psychosis-or-as/) [Marya Hornbacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marya-hornbacher/) > [I had a very unhealthy relationship with food that turned into bulimia.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/candace-cameron-bure/i-had-a-very-unhealthy-relationship-with-food-that-turned-into-bulimia/) [Candace Cameron Bure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/candace-cameron-bure/) > [Dear Anorexia, You are my best friend, and my worst enemy at the same time You are my greatest achievement, and yet my most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dakota-blue-cicilline/dear-anorexia-you-are-my-best-friend-and-my-worst-enemy-at-the-same/) Dakota Blue Cicilline > [If I'm going through a particular period at work or where I feel that I'm out of control and everything's sort of spiralling, I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-whaite/if-i-m-going-through-a-particular-period-at-work-or-where-i-feel-that/) [John Whaite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-whaite/) > [If you are going to recover you HAVE to want to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-are-going-to-recover-you-have-to-want-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I struggled with restricting and purging. It is not really anorexia or bulimia. It is more anorexia than bulimia, but it doesnt fit super…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malika-andrews/i-struggled-with-restricting-and-purging-it-is-not-really-anorexia-or/) [Malika Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malika-andrews/) > [“I can honestly say, with complete disappointment, that I have never purged in my life, because I have what I call a barfing disorder.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-griffin/i-can-honestly-say-with-complete-disappointment-that-i-have-never/) [Kathy Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathy-griffin/) > [“A bulimic person's shame may lead her to try to hide not only her eating-disorder behaviors but also her basic needs and yearnings. She…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheila-m-reindl/a-bulimic-person-s-shame-may-lead-her-to-try-to-hide-not-only-her/) [Sheila M. Reindl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheila-m-reindl/) > [My bulimia was my addiction. Hurting myself was my addiction... The music is what saved me. That's the only thing I can trust.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-scherzinger/my-bulimia-was-my-addiction-hurting-myself-was-my-addiction-the-music/) [Nicole Scherzinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-scherzinger/) > [“I promise no food will ever hurt you as much as a negative mind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brittany-burgunder/i-promise-no-food-will-ever-hurt-you-as-much-as-a-negative-mind/) [Brittany Burgunder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brittany-burgunder/) [Browse all 79 Bulimia quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bulimia/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I'm not a bulimic, I'm a bulimist, I love bulimia.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Stephen Chbosky" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chbosky/i-m-not-a-bulimic-i-m-a-bulimist-i-love-bulimia/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bulimia" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chbosky/i-m-not-a-bulimic-i-m-a-bulimist-i-love-bulimia/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be8/stephen-chbosky-387_bulimia_i-m-not-a-bulimic-i-m-a-bulimist-i-love_2771194.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be8/stephen-chbosky-387_bulimia_i-m-not-a-bulimic-i-m-a-bulimist-i-love_2771194.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be8/stephen-chbosky-387_bulimia_i-m-not-a-bulimic-i-m-a-bulimist-i-love_2771194.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I'm not a bulimic, I'm a bulimist, I love bulimia.” — Stephen Chbosky", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Stephen Chbosky", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“I'm not a bulimic, I'm a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chbosky/i-m-not-a-bulimic-i-m-a-bulimist-i-love-bulimia/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chbosky/i-m-not-a-bulimic-i-m-a-bulimist-i-love-bulimia/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```