In light of today's Dr. Phil show on eating disorders, I'm sure there will be some friends and relatives searching for information about eating disorders. I hope the information I provide here can help you help someone you love.
I wrote some posts about Anorexia and Bulimia last year, which I thought may be helpful for people looking for information about the disorders:
What is Anorexia Nervosa?
What is Bulimia Nervosa?
Some warning signs that your loved one may be suffering with an eating disorder include:
-Making excuses to avoid meals or eating, such as, "I already ate," "I'm not hungry," or, "I'm going to eat later with so-and-so."
-Measuring portion sizes or weighing food
-Cutting food into tiny pieces before eating it
-Using diet pills
-Skipping meals
-Wearing layers of clothes or wearing baggy clothes to cover weight loss
-Complaints of being cold all the time
-Weight fluctuations
-Rapid weight loss or gain
-Large amounts of food missing from cabinets or the fridge could be signs of binging behavior
-Noticing several wrappers and food containers in piles could also be a sign of binging
-Taking frequent trips to the restroom after meals could be a sign that your loved one is purging
-Complaints from your loved one about how he or she is fat, disgusting, and/or ugly
-An obsession with food, weight, food, and/or body image
If you believe someone you love is suffering from an eating disorder, please encourage him or her to seek professional help. If not treated properly early on, eating disorders can, and do, become fatal conditions.
Showing posts with label loved one. Show all posts
Showing posts with label loved one. Show all posts
Monday, February 25, 2008
Saturday, March 31, 2007
Families and Friends: Self-Harm
Your best friend calls you up crying hysterically. You try to ask her what's wrong, but she gets flustered and ends up telling you she has to go. The next day she confides in you that she cut herself again last night. You feel so helpless! You wish you could do something to help her. The good news is, you CAN do something to help.
Here are some things you can do to help your self-harming loved one:
1. Offer a chance for him or her to talk - Some self-harmers are trying to communicate through cutting, burning, hair pulling, and so forth. Given a chance to talk, some self-harmers will be more than happy to talk. Others may not know how to express how they feel. Still others may be reluctant to talk about what's going on. No matter what the case, be patient and don't push. Simply let him or her know that you are there to listen if he or she wants to talk about anything with you.
2. Nurture and care for them no matter whether your loved one has recently self-harmed or not. Some self-harmers feel that they can only get your attention when they hurt themselves. It's important to nurture your loved one regularly. Here are some ideas of caring things to do:
-Send your loved one a paper or e-card.
-Bring her a flower.
-Set some time each week where you and your loved one do something fun together.
-Take her to lunch or a movie.
-Hug her (if she likes hugs).
3. Offer distractions. Sometimes self-harmers merely need a distraction from their feelings for a while. Offer to go to a movie or dinner with your loved one. If you can offer her to spend the night at your house or offer to come stay at her house for the night.
4. Set some boundaries. Tell your loved one that you can talk up until 10PM at night, but if you don't want her to call at 3AM, let her know that. You might also tell her that you care about her, but you don't want her to hurt herself while she is actually talking to you because it hurts you to see her do this.
5. Be available. You can't be helpful if you're not available to your loved one.
6. Be patient. Sometimes families and friends of self-harmers expect them to stop self-harming right away. This may not, and in fact, often does not, happen. Stopping self-harming behavior can take months or years. It requires consistent support from loved ones and professional help for a self-harmer to break this unhealthy coping mechanism.
7. Get support for yourself. If you need to, talk with a therapist about your own feelings regarding someone who self-harms. Sometimes it is important to get help for yourself when you are supporting a loved one.
8. Educate yourself. The more you understand about self-harming behavior, its causes, and other related mental illnesses, the better off you'll be. This is one of the best sites I've ever found on self-harm.
For blogging services, please contact me at: miniemedia@gmail.com.
Here are some things you can do to help your self-harming loved one:
1. Offer a chance for him or her to talk - Some self-harmers are trying to communicate through cutting, burning, hair pulling, and so forth. Given a chance to talk, some self-harmers will be more than happy to talk. Others may not know how to express how they feel. Still others may be reluctant to talk about what's going on. No matter what the case, be patient and don't push. Simply let him or her know that you are there to listen if he or she wants to talk about anything with you.
2. Nurture and care for them no matter whether your loved one has recently self-harmed or not. Some self-harmers feel that they can only get your attention when they hurt themselves. It's important to nurture your loved one regularly. Here are some ideas of caring things to do:
-Send your loved one a paper or e-card.
-Bring her a flower.
-Set some time each week where you and your loved one do something fun together.
-Take her to lunch or a movie.
-Hug her (if she likes hugs).
3. Offer distractions. Sometimes self-harmers merely need a distraction from their feelings for a while. Offer to go to a movie or dinner with your loved one. If you can offer her to spend the night at your house or offer to come stay at her house for the night.
4. Set some boundaries. Tell your loved one that you can talk up until 10PM at night, but if you don't want her to call at 3AM, let her know that. You might also tell her that you care about her, but you don't want her to hurt herself while she is actually talking to you because it hurts you to see her do this.
5. Be available. You can't be helpful if you're not available to your loved one.
6. Be patient. Sometimes families and friends of self-harmers expect them to stop self-harming right away. This may not, and in fact, often does not, happen. Stopping self-harming behavior can take months or years. It requires consistent support from loved ones and professional help for a self-harmer to break this unhealthy coping mechanism.
7. Get support for yourself. If you need to, talk with a therapist about your own feelings regarding someone who self-harms. Sometimes it is important to get help for yourself when you are supporting a loved one.
8. Educate yourself. The more you understand about self-harming behavior, its causes, and other related mental illnesses, the better off you'll be. This is one of the best sites I've ever found on self-harm.
For blogging services, please contact me at: miniemedia@gmail.com.
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