- Educate yourself
- One of the most important ways to support a loved one with an eating disorder is to educate yourself about the illness. Learn about the different types of eating disorders, their symptoms, and potential triggers. Understanding the psychological and emotional aspects of the disorder can help you provide more informed and empathetic support. Wether your loved one has anorexia or a binge eating disorder, there’s always many common misconceptions about eating disorders that need to be understood by closest family members to understand the nature of the disorderFoster communicationEncourage open and honest communication within the family. Create a safe and non-judgmental environment where your loved one feels comfortable discussing their feelings and experiences. Listen actively and validate their emotions, even if you may not fully understand their struggles.Avoid commenting on appearance or food
- When a family member is struggling with an eating disorder, it can be a challenging and distressing experience for everyone involved. While professional treatment is essential for recovery, the support and understanding of family members play a crucial role in the healing process. In this blog post, we’ll explore some recommendations we encourage at Be Well Center Puerto Vallarta for families of individuals with eating disorders to help them navigate this journey with compassion and care.
Be mindful of the conversations in your home about food, weight, beauty and body image. Keeping conversations about these subjects could be triggering for someone experiencing an eating disorder, and the eating disorder could even stem from the importance in these subjects given at home, school or social settings. Focus on positive affirmations and expressions of love and support in other areas.
Example:
Do not say, “You’ve gained some weight, you look better like this.” Or, “If you were to stop binging you would stop complaining about getting fatter.”
Practical Support
Practical support can make a significant difference in your loved one’s recovery journey. Offer to help with meal preparation, grocery shopping, or other tasks related to food and nutrition. If your loved one asks you to not help with these tasks it’s okay, maybe they one to handle it on their own, give them space and respect for their decision.
Encourage professional help
Encourage your loved one to seek professional help from a therapist or treatment center that has specialization in eating disorders. Offer to assist them in finding resources and making appointments. Remember that recovery is a journey, and professional support is essential for long-term healing. In Be Well Center, we have developed a program for patients struggling with eating disorders and have helped many people who have struggled with this, our philosophy is to encourage the patient to live a happy and healthy lifestyle, without restrictions while implementing the habit of mindful eating.
If it’s necessary, ask for help yourself
Supporting a loved one with an eating disorder can be emotionally draining and stressful. Remember to prioritize your own self-care and seek support from friends, family, or a therapist if needed. Being supportive requires patience and being understanding, it’s also important to seek out for the real reasons why this eating disorder has developed, since many times the social aspect is a important factor in the developing of this, you might find yourself learning about new habits or ways of communication that could help in the recovery of your loved one.
