Set aside a time when you can talk to this person in private without interruptions. Try to be patient. Your loved one may be shocked, confused, or hurt that you have been suffering on your own all this time. Explain some of the symptoms you have noticed and when they started. You might also discuss the physical or emotional repercussions of your eating disorder, such as loss of a menstrual period or suicidal thoughts. Give this person some idea as to how she can help you. Would you like her to hold you accountable for eating right? Would you like this person to accompany you to the doctor? Let your loved one how you can feel best supported.
You can find eating disorder specialists by asking for a referral from your family doctor, by calling local hospitals or medical centers, reaching out to your school counselor, or calling the National Eating Disorders Association’s hotline at 1-800-931-2237.
Individual psychotherapy allows you to work one-on-one with a therapist to uncover some of the causes to your condition and to develop healthier ways of responding to triggers. One effective therapeutic approach is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which focuses on changing unhelpful thought patterns that influence your relationship with food and your body. Family therapy is helpful at guiding parents with useful tools on caring for a teenager with an eating disorder and bringing healthier lifestyle habits into the household for long term recovery. Medical monitoring is required so that your doctor can examine you physically to assure that you are regaining essential bodily functions as you progress through treatment. Your doctor might record your weight and perform regular tests. Nutritional counseling involves meeting with a registered dietitian on an ongoing basis to ensure that you are consuming adequate calories and macro-nutrients to maintain or return to a healthy weight. This professional will also work with you to change your relationship with food into a positive, healthy one. Medications are often prescribed when a co-occurring illness exists in addition to the eating disorder, such as depression. Common medications prescribed to help with eating disorder recovery include antidepressants, antipsychotics, anti-anxiety meds, and mood stabilizers.
Use a few days to notice what you’re thinking. Label certain thoughts as negative or positive, helpful or unhelpful. Think about how such thoughts might affect your mood or behavior. Combat negative, unhelpful thoughts by identifying if they are unrealistic. For example, if you find yourself thinking, “I will never get to a healthy weight,” you might ask yourself how you could possibly know such a thing. Can you predict the future? Of course not. Now that you have identified your unproductive thoughts, you can replace them with more helpful, realistic versions, such as, “It is taking me awhile to get to a healthy weight, but I can do it. ”
Get regular exercise. Sleep at least 7 to 9 hours each night. Get a hobby. Listen to music and dance. Spend time with positive, supportive people. Walk your dog. Take a long, relaxing bath. Learn how to say “no” when you’ve got too much on your plate. Release perfectionistic tendencies.
Anorexia nervosa is characterized by an obsessive preoccupation with body size and weight. An individual with this condition may fear gaining weight and believe she (or he) is overweight even when she’s severely underweight. Individuals may refuse to eat and eat very restrictive diets. Some people with anorexia may purge (vomit) or take laxatives to lose weight. Bulimia nervosa involves periods of binge eating—that is, uncontrollably consuming large amounts of food—and then compensating for overeating by purging, taking laxatives or diuretics, exercising excessively, fasting, or a combination of these methods. This condition can be hard to spot because many people with bulimia maintain an average weight. Binge eating disorder is characterized by eating large amounts of food even when a person is not hungry. People with bulimia may eat in secret and be unable to control themselves during a binge. Although similar, individuals suffering from binge eating disorder (BED) do not engage in compensatory behaviors like purging or exercising excessively. People with BED may be overweight or obese.
Try to write in your journal daily, as this can help you spot the connections between your thought patterns and behaviors, which can be useful for your recovery treatment. [13] X Research source For example, you might log an episode of binge-eating. Then, think back to what happened right before the episode. What were your thoughts? Feelings? Who were you around? What were you talking about? Then, log how you felt afterwards. What thoughts and feelings came over you?
The exact cause of eating disorders is unknown. Still, researchers have found that many people have parents or siblings with eating disorders, and may have been raised with strong social or cultural ideals of thinness. They may also have low self-esteem and a perfectionist personality, and be subjected to images of thinness from peers or the media. [14] X Trustworthy Source National Health Service (UK) Public healthcare system of the UK Go to source
