Articles

What are Eating Disorders
Common Symptoms Anorexia
Common Symptoms Bulimia
Common Symptoms Binge Eating Disorder
Help For Supporters
Enter Intensive Care
Real People - Poems, True Stories, Biographies
Going Underground
S.E.C.R.E.T.S To A New Life
Activity Plan
Recovery Plan
Dietary Eating Advice
Dental Surgery
Deadly Serious

Resources & Links

HubDex
Eating Disorders Association



 

Inside Information

  Remember someone with an eating disorder is continually battling between two parts of themselves.  One part that desperately wants help and is really struggling, and the other part convinces themselves that they are fine and does not have an eating disorder.  This may be because it is to impossible to deal with.

In younger sufferers they may interpret Ed as being a boyfriend and Ana and Mia as being their friends as they feel lonely and isolated.
         Ed - Eating Disorder
         Ana - a person suffering from Anorexia
         Mia - a person suffering from Bulimia
         COE - Compulsive Over Exercising
         Rexies - Very Ill individuals who celebrate, promote and encourage ED's behaviour as a chosen lifestyle.

It is important to encourage eating small amounts of food regularly, NOT enforcing that everything on the plate is eaten.

Give Support (without taking responsibility away) Remember the sufferer has the ultimate choice if he/she rejects your support that if their own responsibility.  Remember when things get to far the responsibility will be taken away from any of you.   The professionals take over.

Express that you will make every effort to make time to talk whenever needed. Suggest that the sufferer give you a certain look or ask directly and you will make yourself available to them.  Sometimes just an acknowledgment by a look is enough to support and comfort as sometimes talking is not appropriate.  Let them come to you

The sufferer may only become aware of their true feelings after food has been eaten.

Encouragement is required not just with eating but dealing and living with a more relaxed routine.  Try and encourage spur of the moment thinking and randomness.    Remember you are dealing with people who live strictly by routine.  Everything  has been thought and planned in advance . Anything unexpected will cause them to panic, loose  confidence and re-inforce the need for a strict routine.  Even small things like buying a new item of clothing, wearing hair slightly differently.   

When greater freedom, flexibility and spontaneity is noticed in a daily routine this is a positive sign that progress is being made towards recovery.  It shows that confidence is growing  and the fear of coping with the unknown is becoming less.  

Try and encourage learning and understanding about normal, healthy eating patterns.  In Anorexia it is not always necessarily about putting on weight.   Although if the Anorexics weight is extremely low this is a different story.  At this stage no further progress will be made until weight gain has been achieved.  At extreme low body weight the brain regresses back to a child like state where the basic ability to think logically and rationally cannot be achieved.  You cannot expect any progress in recovery in this state of mind, weight gain is required quickly.  But in general  to start with it is more important  to try and encourage small amounts of food to be eaten regularly and NOT to force the point about making sure everything on the plate has been eaten.

If you tell the sufferer that they are looking well/good they can interpret this in a negative way ie meaning they are failing.  If they are dealing with conflict inside it could be enough to trigger a negative response and result back to old ways.

Be aware that if someone appears absolutely fine then there is a possibility that they maybe on a high from not eating.

If you are supervising sufferers after meals and snacks remember that the behaviour or language that may follow is not aimed at you.  The behaviour is due to trying to deal with some of the following  feelings

The real person behind the illness is not awkward or nasty their just battling with over whelming emotions.

Avoid confrontation regarding worries to do with the illness before or at the meal table.  Discuss and create a Meal Plan and stick to it.

Sometimes you won't be able to find the answer to 'why' has this happened. There are some questions you have to leave to the professionals.

Recognise when you have no control over certain situation.  Remember to deal with your own frustration you personally feel watching as an outsider. 

Remember there is only so much you can do to help. Most of the work will have to come from the sufferer. 

More inside information coming soon...