eat·ing dis·or·der: (noun) any of a range of psychological disorders characterized by abnormal or disturbed eating habits
An eating disorder is disruptive, intrusive, addicting, and can very well be life-threatening. Being affected by an eating disorder is not a joke or something to mess around with. Eating disorders need treatment in terms of physical re-feeding and healing, as well as therapy for mental and emotional strength.
If you or someone you know may be struggling with disordered eating, seek help immediately.
Do's and don'ts of helping a loved one.
Do understand the biological and psychological causes. An eating disorder is not a choice. It is often genetic, as well as based on environmental and other predisposed factors. Know that an eating disorder is not anyone's fault in particular. Read books, articles, and brochures to understand the eating disorder, its symptoms, and how it may be affecting your loved one.
Be there for your loved one. They probably need you now more than ever. However, be cautious of promising things like "always being there for them," but be sure your loved one knows you are available and truly care for him/her.
Be honest and kind, but be firm. Your loved one needs your support, but due to the nature of the illness, may not see the seriousness of the disease and/or want to receive help. Do not give up.
Do compliment your loved one on things unrelated to food/body image/weight/etc. They are more than their eating disorder. Be careful of even saying things like, "You look so well!" or "You look/are so healthy!" because in the mind of a sick person, these will not seem like compliments.
Do encourage your friend to talk about the normal, daily, non-eating disorder parts of their life as much as possible and avoid focusing on the eating disorder.
Do not be critical of your loved one and his/her progress. Everyone's recovery process is different in the way it looks, the time it takes, and the amount of relapses that come with it.
Do not give simple solutions such as "just eat" to overcome this. Eating disorders are about more than just food. "Just eat" will not solve anything. If it were that easy, we would "just eat."
Do not talk about weight, dieting, calories, etc. around this person. Those things are most likely very triggering for him/her and will only hold that person back.
Do seek help for your loved one. They need the care and treatment of professionals who are trained to help people struggling with and eating disorder. Re-feeding, weight gain, vitals, and other important steps to recovery must be monitored very carefully. Recovery can often be a long and scary process, so the guidance of a treatment team is very helpful.
If you or someone you know is affected by an eating disorder, seek help. The time is now.
Help & Support is always available from the National Eating Disorders Association, by calling their confidential Helpline at 1-800-931-2237, Click to chat with a NEDA Helpline volunteer, for crisis situations, text "NEDA" to 741741 to be connected with a trained volunteer at Crisis Text Line, or visit their website at http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org.
Stay strong. Overcoming an eating disorder can be a very challenging process, but is extremely possible. Be there for your loved ones.
