Posts Tagged “Family”

Eating disorders can affect all individuals, regardless of who they are or how they identify. For those who are in their childbearing years or pregnant, this time period often overlaps with the age range in which eating disorders (EDs) are commonly diagnosed. Despite the fact that eating disorders and pregnancy can co-occur, there often isn’t an open dialogue about the overlap. With eating disorders potentially causing an increased chance of complications in pregnancy, we believe it’s important to start talking about eating disorders, related medical complications, and pregnancy.

We wanted to share former clients’ reflections on their time in The Emily Program’s adolescent programs.

• “The Emily Program has helped me a lot mostly because I am a kid and usually these (things) don’t make a whole lot of sense. Thank you.” – Adolescent client
• “Our family is more open—not just about food, but with feelings. It’s amazing to see how much everything has changed and how willing they are to say how they feel.” – Adolescent client
• “I feel surrounded and protected—something I didn’t have for many years. It’s nice to have that, finally.” – Adolescent client
• “Sometimes, you feel like you’re doing the battle alone. Being with the other parents definitely made me feel more supported. There’s a whole bunch of other people going through the same thing with their kids.” – Parent of an adolescent client
• “I’m here with my daughter. She’s only been in the program for 2 months but I see changes in her already. So it’s nice to know I still have hope.” – Parent of an adolescent client
• “I want to thank my daughter for being strong enough to face her own issues with her eating disorder. She came to The Emily Program to take back her life and she helped me realize I can do the same.” – Parent of an adolescent client

We know that holidays are a tricky time of year for those in eating disorder recovery. Stress and anxiety may increase with the constant presence of food and the extended amount of time spent with family. To make the upcoming holiday a bit easier, we’ve constructed an easy-to-follow dos and don’ts list for this holiday season.

We are in the middle of the holiday season, which means that you’ve most likely endured some degree of familial stress. From the commotion of cooking large meals for the extended family to body and food-centric dinner table talk, it’s easy to see why the holidays might just be the most stressful time of the year. For those in eating disorder recovery and those who are support people, it’s essential to know what stress is and how it functions. With an understanding of the nature of stress, we can move forward compassionately and mitigate anxiety-inducing moments by utilizing positive communication skills. 

We reached out to The Emily Program community and asked them to share their best holiday advice to those in eating disorder recovery. Here is what they said!

Thanksgiving is lauded as a holiday of thanks, togetherness, and harmony. However, this meal-centric holiday is also considered to be a goldmine of opportunity for advertisers. From commercials about new diets to gyms promoting memberships by promising that participants can “lose that holiday fat,” it’s easy to see why Thanksgiving isn’t always something to be thankful for.

For those struggling with food, weight, or body image, Thanksgiving can be a particularity triggering holiday. Not only are diet companies, beauty stores, and exercise facilities using the holiday to promote sales based off of body shame, but individuals are often subjected to critical comments by those they love the most. While often not intentionally, those around the Thanksgiving table may contribute to eating disorder thoughts and behaviors.