One of the most fundamental roles a parent has is to provide nutrition to their children. When a child has an eating disorder this role can become confusing and contentious. There is a lot to get your head around when your child has an eating disorder but if you get a good team around you it can support you to get through this difficult time.
Basic Steps To Support Your Child
- Find your own support. It is often helpful for parents of young people who are suffering from an eating disorder to see their own Psychologist. Having their own support can be crucial to having the capacity to manage the difficult family situations which can arise as part of the eating disorder.
- Get a good consistent General Practitioner (GP) this will be the primary person who will monitor your child’s physical health. As eating disorders have physical symptoms which can be life threatening you need a GP you can work closely with. Your child may not always want to see the GP so it needs to be a GP you trust and can work with all the other professionals involved with your child’s care.
- Develop an understanding of starvation syndrome. If your child severely restricts their food intake, they may develop starvation syndrome. A study in 1944 called the Minnesota Starvation Experiment examined what happens during prolonged semi-starvation. They found significant increases in depression, emotional distress, social withdrawal and food preoccupation as well as difficulties with concentration, comprehension and judgement. They also found a range of physiological changes including decreased metabolic rate, temperature, respiration and heart rate. Your child’s behaviour, thoughts and feelings may change quite drastically if they develop starvation syndrome.
- Finding a good dietician can be a great resource. The dietician can help educate your child about nutrition and can develop meal plans. A meal plan can help reduce arguments at mealtime.
- Don’t give up hope. You child will need you to have hope even if their situation appears hopeless. Having a good support team around you can help you during hard times and help you remain focussed on recovery. Being diagnosed with an eating disorder can mean a long and bumpy ride for some young people and they will need support from their parents throughout the journey.
I wanted to share this cartoon video of a father helping his daughter eat. A number of parents of young people with eating disorders have told me that this video helped them to remember what to say in the most difficult moments. This video demonstrates the patience and perseverance parents need when helping their child recover from an eating disorder.
Treatments
The good news is there are a number of evidence based treatments which have been found to be helpful. Research examining Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for Anorexia found that 60% of participants completed treatment and the treatment led to clinically significant improvements in BMI and a reduction in eating disorder psychopathology. Dialectical Behaviour Therapy has also been found to improve BMI and reduce eating disordered psychopathology and psychological distress. Further internet-based relapse prevention for Anorexia was found to lead to significant increases in BMI for those participants that completed the program. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy and Dialectical Behaviour Therapy have also been found to be effective for Bulimia Nervosa including reducing the frequency of binge eating. If you or your child need support from a Psychologist regarding an eating disorder, please book an appointment with one of our Telehealth Psychologists.
