Starting eating disorder treatment can be scary for the individual affected—but it can also be a stressful time for parents. When your child experiences a negative food/body relationship, you may struggle to understand why. Their behaviors may seem perplexing and leave you feeling frustrated, afraid, and sad. The Emily Program understands that it’s difficult to watch someone you love struggle with an eating disorder. It’s also difficult to know how to comfort them.
Eating disorder treatment is a new experience, and like all new things, it can be scary at first. Prior to starting treatment, your child’s eating disorder behaviors may increase due to the stress and fear of starting treatment and confronting the eating disorder. Your child may experience dread, anger, anxiety, or depression. They may also experience relief upon knowing that they are on the road to recovery. All of these feelings are normal.
For parents, it’s important to be aware and present in the days or weeks before treatment. Make sure to check in with your child about how they are feeling or if they could use any specific support. Reassure them that treatment is a good idea because it will help them to live their best life. Be vocal about your support and be present when they share with you.
Upon starting treatment, your child may experience anger, frustration, or fear. Treatment requires necessary changes. Meal plans are put in place, therapy occurs, and individuals are encouraged to form supportive relationships that challenge their fears. All of these new experiences and events can spark anxiety. On the positive side, the sense of comradery and community can also leave individuals feeling seen, acknowledged, supported, and like they are not alone.
The first step to providing care to your child is to try your best to understand what they are going through. While you will never be able to fully understand their experience, you can educate yourself on the illness. Eating disorders are complex, so they can be hard to understand on your own. To learn more about eating disorders, The Emily Program offers an ED 101 class, where people can learn about the illnesses and voice questions they may have.
Once you have taken the time to educate yourself on eating disorders, it’s important to be aware of what can be harmful during eating disorder treatment and recovery. We advise against the following:
Luckily, there are also several things you can do to provide comfort for your child in treatment! If you are unsure where to start, try one of the following:
If your child is in treatment and you have questions, we recommend connecting with their treatment team. Recovery is possible. If you believe your child needs eating disorder treatment, the best thing you can do is get them to an eating disorder assessment or call The Emily Program at 1-888-364-5977. From there, they will be recommended to a level of care and can start their road to recovery.
Call 888-364-5977 for help now.
The Emily Program is a University of Minnesota Medical School Affiliate
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