Coping with an Anorexic

or

Bulimic Person

• Be patient - eating disorders can be long-term problems. You cannot expect over-night recovery even if the person is in therapy.
• Encourage the anorexic or bulimic person to seek professional help.* If the person is truly endangering his/her life by their eating habits, be insistent.
• Seek outside help for yourself. Find a family/friend support group, a counsellor, or other professional who has experience in helping families and friends cope with an eating disorder.
• When discussing the problem with a person you suspect has an eating disorder, (especially if it is for the first time) don't be surprised if the reaction is one of denial or perhaps even hostility.
• Don't lay blame. This only re-enforces the person's feellings of failure.
• Try to ensure that you don't allow the person's problems to interfere with your normal functioning. Let the person know that he/she is important to the family but not more so than other family member.
• Don't dwell on food related discussions.
• Encourage the person to get involved with non-food related activities.
• Avoid commenting on the person's weight or appearance - your comments may not be taken in proper context anyway.
• The person with an eating disorder must feel that he/she has control over his/her daily routine. This can be very frustrating for those around the individual, but the situation often only becomes worse when it is perceived that someone else is trying to take that control away.
• Be aware that low self-esteem is often a problem for those with eating disorders. Be careful not to make comparisons.
• Learn everything you can about eating disorders. The more you know, the more you can understand. Understanding is a key to coping. Pass the material on to the person you are concered about.