Supporting a Family Member Through Anxiety and an Eating Disorder

Many individuals who struggle with an eating disorder may also be dealing with a co-occurring mental health illness, such as an anxiety disorder. Anxiety can come in many forms, including phobias of specific things or experiences, post-traumatic stress disorder, social anxiety, generalized anxiety disorder and more.

Experiencing an anxiety disorder alongside an eating disorder often exacerbates the symptoms of both mental health issues, resulting in severe complications if left untreated. The most effective forms of treatment for an individual experiencing both an eating disorder and an anxiety disorder are programs that can address these mental illnesses together.

Support for Eating Disorder and Anxiety Treatment

A person who is receiving treatment for an eating disorder and anxiety will likely be undergoing multiple forms of therapy, possibly including psychotherapy, pharmacotherapy, medical nutrition therapy, and more. Learning how to normalize eating behaviors while effectively managing anxiety can be challenging and is something that occurs slowly under the guidance and support of professionals specialized in the treatment of the co-occurring disorders. If you have a family member who is undergoing treatment for these mental illnesses, you may be unsure how to best support them during this challenging time.

One way to support your loved one is to encourage them to adhere to their treatment plan as outlined by the professionals they are working with. This includes compliance with any medication recommendations, consistent therapeutic sessions and counseling, and medical management. Depending on the level of care you loved one may be involved in, they may need more or less support from you but constant encouragement throughout the process.

Getting Involved

It may be helpful to become involved in therapy sessions or even family/group therapy to better learn how to specifically help your loved one. Certain factors may trigger an anxiety attack, which can in turn play into the eating disorder. Learning what these triggers might be as well as effective coping mechanisms can help you support your loved one when they are faced with these types of situations.

Family members can also be instrumental with home support when it comes to following a prescribed meal plan and structure that allows ongoing recovery from an eating disorder.

While you may feel uncertain how to best support your loved one through their recovery from anxiety and an eating disorder, know that you are not alone through this journey. Consider connecting with other families who are experiencing a similar journey, join a support group, and stay in close connection with your loved one’s treatment team.

About the Author: Crystal is a Masters-level Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) with a specialty focus in eating disorders, maternal/child health and wellness, and intuitive eating. Combining clinical experience with a love of social media and writing, Crystal serves as the Special Projects Coordinator for Eating Disorder Hope/Addiction Hope, where her passion to help others find recovery and healing is integrated into each part of her work.

As a Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor, Crystal has dedicated her career to helping others establish a healthy relationship with food and body through her work with EDH/AH and nutrition private practice.

The opinions and views of our guest contributors are shared to provide a broad perspective of eating disorders. These are not necessarily the views of Eating Disorder Hope, but an effort to offer discussion of various issues by different concerned individuals.

We at Eating Disorder Hope understand that eating disorders result from a combination of environmental and genetic factors. If you or a loved one are suffering from an eating disorder, please know that there is hope for you, and seek immediate professional help.

Last Updated & Reviewed By: Jacquelyn Ekern, MS, LPC on June 27, 2016
Published on EatingDisorderHope.com