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Continuing good care at home will aid in recovery from anorexia. Individual goals will be set by the person's doctor, mental health professional, and nutritionist. Some of the goals include:

• Learning new eating behaviors.
• Learning emotional self-care.
• Developing trust in people who are trying to help you

Family members will also need to support the person's mental and physical goals for healing. Learning about the disorder will be helpful for family members as well as the person with the disorder.

• Showing support of a loved one with anorexia nervosa
• Help for family members of a person with anorexia nervosa

Supporting a person with an eating disorder

When a loved one has an eating disorder such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, or binge eating disorder and is in treatment, you can show support by:

• Reminding them of your love.
• Trusting them to discover their own way to recovery.
• Trusting they have developed their own high values, ideals, and standards.
• Encouraging them to take responsibility for all their actions, both successes and setbacks.
• Offering support if they get discouraged about how long treatment is taking.

You can also help by:

• Not watching or talking about how much they eat.
• Refraining from urging them to eat or not eat, unless this is part of the plan for treatment.
• Avoiding comparing them with others.
• Listening to their feelings.
• Not allowing yourself to be controlled by their behavior.

If you are having a hard time handling your feelings and your interactions with someone who has an eating disorder, talk with a health professional. Counseling, such as family therapy, may help parents and other caregivers learn ways to encourage healthy eating behaviors in children and teens with eating disorders.

Help for family members of someone with anorexia nervosa

The entire family will be negatively affected by the rituals and harmful behaviors of the person with anorexia nervosa. You may find that you need to seek professional counseling in addition to family counseling or other treatment the person with anorexia nervosa and your family is receiving. Here are some thoughts that you may find helpful as your child or loved one struggles with this disorder:

• It is not your fault. The sooner you can stop feeling guilty or trying to determine blame for your child's anorexia, the sooner you can put your energies into helping your child become well. There is often no clear answer to why a child has anorexia. A person with anorexia sometimes does better in an organized environment free from chaos and emotional outbursts. Professional therapy may help pinpoint some possible organizational or structural improvement in your family function; however, this does not mean that anything you or your family did caused your child to develop anorexia.
• Seek prompt treatment. If you notice signs of anorexia nervosa, even mild or initial signs such as intense dieting over an extended period of time, seek care from a health professional. The sooner your child or loved one receives treatment for an eating disorder, the more likely she or he will recover soon. Once it has developed, anorexia can escalate rapidly. Secrecy and denial of a problem are strong characteristics of eating disorders. Don't be afraid to ask your child's doctor or other health professional questions if you suspect an eating problem of any kind. It is better to catch the problem in the early stages than to wait until it escalates.
• Take care of yourself during this time. Eating disorders affect the entire family. Each family member may need reassurance or personal counseling at different times during the course of the illness. It is important that other children in your family receive love and attention that does not involve the other child's illness. As a parent, you may need to talk with a professional therapist or counselor to discuss your concerns and the impact your child's disorder has on you and your family. Seek the support you need during this time from all available resources.

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Reviewed: 03/2006