How Can You Help Someone Who has an Eating Disorder?
Do you know someone whom you’re close with who suffers from an eating disorder? Are you worried about them and their health? These simple tips can help you navigate your way on how you can help and treat someone who has an eating disorder.
Just by reading this article means that you are a step closer to doing a great job because you are taking the initiative to find out more about eating disorders and how you can support your loved one. This shows how much you care and that you want to understand them.
And that is exactly the first tip.
Understand their Eating Disorder
People with eating disorders tend to have very fluctuating eating behaviors such as binging on food, not eating at all, following frigid diets and so on and so forth. This can be very damaging to one’s health and as some who care, it can also be hard to watch them slowly deteriorate.
Eating disorders not only factor food but also mental and emotional issues that they have about themselves. It is the negative feelings about their weight that may be caused by criticism, genetics, cultural beliefs, and many more. So by understanding not only the eating disorder but also their innermost feelings and thoughts can be a huge stepping stone in helping your loved one.
You can learn more about the specifics of eating disorders by researching the different types of eating disorders.
Knowing the Warning Signs
Second is know the warning signs of eating disorders. Within teenagers and young-adults who are going through puberty, it can sometimes be hard to differentiate if they are truly suffering from an eating disorder or are just self-conscious about their weight or doing a regular diet. Though they may look alike, an eating disorder is much more complicated and complex than just being your normal self-conscious self. So to differentiate between the two, there are warning signs or red flags per say that you will be able to notice.
- Limiting or restricting from eating food
- Binge eating
- Purging
- Body Dysmorphia
These are a few of the most noticeable red flags of eating disorders, so by catching on to them at its early stages would help you to get them the help they need.
Give Them Your Time and Listen To Them
And the easiest and simplest tip is to give them some of your time for you to listen to them because as mentioned, eating disorders does not only involve problems about food but also a person’s emotional and mental stability.
Explain to them that you are worried and be patient. Not every person is able to talk about these types of subjects immediately when you ask. Prepare yourself from their denial and resistance. However, do not push them to talk and tell you. Just being there and showing your concern is already a big help. And when the time comes that they reach out to you, you can help and guide them to help.
Bottomline
It is not easy to get them to get help, however, supporting them will help you show that you are concerned and that you want the best for them. Encourage them and don’t fight them. Guide them but not force them. Always be mindful and hopefully with time, you are able to bring them to get proper help from a health professional.
