By beat beat Supernanny Expert 05/02/2007
Four years ago Kelly∗ was an average 17 year old girl. In her final year of Grammar school, she was one of the brightest in her class and was active in the local drama and debating societies. She came from a close-knit family in a well-to-do suburb, and seemed to have the whole world at her feet. But then something changed…
Kelly began to stay at home after school and on the weekends. She would bake huge cakes and eat them in one sitting, before disappearing for hours to the bathroom. She quit the drama and debating clubs, and her school grades began to drop.
Her mother Louise could see the change, and she broached the subject with her daughter. But Kelly didn’t want to talk about it, she couldn’t see any problem…
Kelly is one of the estimated 1.15 million people∗∗ in the UK with an eating disorder. Four years on, Kelly has been diagnosed with Bulimia and Anorexia nervosa, and while she has now moved out of home and started university, her eating disorder continues to ravage her mind and body. In this article, beat , the national support organisation for people with eating disorders, shows how mothers like Louise can support their children and help to treat an eating disorder, one small step at a time…
What is an eating disorder?
Problems with food can start when eating is used to cope with boredom, anxiety, anger, loneliness, or sadness. An eating disorder rarely results from a single cause, but is more likely to be a combination of many factors which can leave a person feeling unable to cope. These can include low self-esteem, family or friend relationships, the death of a loved one, problems at work, college or university, lack of confidence, or sexual or emotional abuse. Many people talk about simply feeling ‘too fat’ or ‘not good enough’.
Eating disorders can develop in women and men of all ages and cultural backgrounds, although young women between 15 and 25 years are most likely to be affected. People with an eating disorder often say that controlling their food intake makes them feel in control of their life, but as time goes on, the eating disorder usually begins to control them.
Caring for someone with an eating disorder
Watching your child develop an eating disorder is a painful and frustrating ordeal. Your loved one may be changing at a rapid rate, and you may feel powerless to help.
I can’t get through to her…
As periods of depression, anger, hopelessness and despair take hold, your child’s personality is likely to change. Home may feel like a battleground, and well-meaning parents may feel like the enemy. However, it is important to remember it is the disorder that is taking over, and not the person who is changing.
She shuts me out…
You may feel that you should be able to help because you care for the person who is suffering - but you simply don’t know what to do or say, perhaps because your child is not ready to admit they have a pro...
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