Parents of Children With Eating Disorders
Parents possess amazing imaginations. They picture the day when their daughter will graduate from college, marry, perhaps even have children of her own. Here's what they never imagine: a daughter with an eating disorder. Unfortunately, millions of children, adolescents and adult women suffer from anorexia and bulimia. This means even greater numbers of parents are dealing with something they never anticipated, and worse, cannot possibly understand.
The most frequently asked question is "why?" Regrettably, there isn't an easy answer. The best course of action for parents dealing with an eating disorder is to get help. A wise first step is to take the daughter to a physician, simply to ascertain the extent of the problem. If she has a full-blown eating disorder, then it is time to seek professional counseling for her, and very possibly, separate counseling for the parents and other children. Three important points to keep in mind: first, eating disorders rarely resolve on their own; second, if one daughter has an eating disorder, the entire family is impacted; and third, parents must not blame themselves– the blame game accomplishes nothing.
Remember...Eating disorders are devastating to the individual and highly destructive to the family. You did not cause this; therefore, you cannot fix this on your own. Please get help.
Discover more about this important topic by checking out the following articles.
Articles
Parental Involvement Important in the Prevention and Awareness of Eating Disorders…
by Jacquelyn Ekern, MS, LPC, Founder and Director of Eating Disorder Hope and Debra Cooper, Expert Writer on eating disorders.
Eating disorders were once exclusively a female issue, this is no longer the case. Anorexia and bulimia are on the rise in every culture, race, ethnicity, social-economic group, and religion throughout our country.
In other words, no individual is exempt and no family is immune. The following is designed to provide parents with the information required to understand eating disorders and help prevent one from occurring in their home... Read More
Working Through Society Myths to Save the Mother-Daughter Relationship
Contributions by Catherine Weigel-Foy, LCSW, LMFT, Family Therapist at Timberline Knolls Residential Treatment Center
While relationships with friends and husbands begin in adolescence and adulthood, a mother’s love begins before a child is born, and can create an unrealistic expectation that the connection between mothers and daughters will be as strong and free from limitations in adulthood as it was in early infancy. In reality, an individual’s needs and fears are often informed by society’s needs and fears, making this one of the most maligned of all human relationships. By identifying societal myths commonly found in these relationships, mothers and daughters can counteract the barriers to build a stronger foundation... Read More
Tips for Parents: Helping Kids Stay Active and Eat Healthy during Summer (and Fall, Winter, and Spring)
Dena Cabrera, PsyD @ Remuda Ranch Treatment Programs
“Summer” for kids means so many different things - vacations, summer camp, swimming, free time, and best of all, no school. In the summer, schedules change, routines are broken, and patterns are modified. This could create an imbalance in our eating and activity level. Also, the heat often immobilizes us, making it a bit more difficult to stay active and eat healthy. Helping kids stay active during summer time may pose a challenge for parents. Also, kids today face many different options for food and activity than past generations. With an abundance of inexpensive, high calorie, low nutrient-dense, tasty, unsupervised food choices coupled with entertainment much more sedentary than "play"…we end up with overweight kids. What is a parent to do?
Top 10 Tips for Parents Who Want Healthy Kids...Read More
Resources
Preventing Eating Disorders in Kids and Teens: Parents can help prevent kids from developing an eating disorder by nurturing their self-esteem, and encouraging healthy attitudes about nutrition and appearance (KidsHealth.org)
Information for Parents: Excellent information for parents concerned about eating disorders. Put out by the National Eating Disorders Association.
One of the best sources for online eating disorder information available (NationalEatingDisorders.org) Do Parents Cause Eating Disorders: See what some of the nations leading experts say about Parents and the causes of eating disorders(Youtube.com)
Maudsley Parents: A Site for Parents of Eating Disordered Children: Maudsley Parents was created in 2006 by parents who helped their children recover with family-based treatment, to offer hope and help to other families confronting eating disorders.
