Please, let’s talk about eating disorders.
The more we talk about it the easier we make it for both those who suffer from one and the wider family who are also affected.
Let’s talk and dispel some of the myths that surround eating disorders – that it’s all about the food. It’s not.
February 27th to March 5th is Eating Disorders Awareness Week and the national charity B-eat will be campaigning to not only shed light on eating disorders but also provide information for parents and carers: how to spot the signs, how to help someone if you think they may have a problem. Early intervention leads to faster recovery.
The majority of people will think that eating disorders are all about food. I thought the same until I discovered my daughter’s eating disorder. I had an inkling that it was also to do with control issues but that was the sum of my knowledge. I was soon to learn otherwise.
Eating Disorders are a mental health issue, and it’s as well to bear that in mind at all times. As soon as I accepted that it wasn’t about getting my daughter to eat but to get her to feel good about herself I was more able to help her. Getting her to eat well came later.
Don’t think that only girls get eating disorders.
Boys get eating disorders too – and men and women of all ages. It can happen to anyone. The powerful image of an emaciated teenage girl sticks with us but you could miss the signs if you become blinkered because of stereotypes.
Don’t think that only extreme thinness denotes the presence of an eating disorder
Plenty of people with eating disorders (or disordered eating ) are a relatively normal body weight. Mental health problems are not so easy to detect. No one talks about it, they are more inclined to go to extreme lengths to keep it a secret. You don’t wear a cast, or a sling; no one wears a badge saying Help, I’m having trouble coping here. Sufferers can binge eat and stay relatively the same weight but still have a problem. As I said, it’s not about the food.
Getting help fast is crucial to recovery.
Our GPs were fantastically helpful, taking my daughter seriously and getting her into the system so that she received the very best of help – all through the NHS. I can never thank the doctors and medical staff enough who got her on the road to recovery. Not everyone is so fortunate.
You can look on the B-eat website for how and what to do if you are concerned that someone you know or love has an eating disorder.
Tracy Baines has written a book about how her daughter’s eating disorder impacted on her family. The book It’s Not about the Food is part memoir part self-help guide. It contains resources she found helpful and quotes from many other parents she either interviewed or who responded to her questionnaire.