WHAT
CAN I DO IF I THINK
I HAVE AN EATING DISORDER?
We
know from experience that teenagers who struggle with eating and body
issues do better when they talk to a professional with expertise in
these matters, than when they just talk to a friend. Recovery from
an eating disorder takes time and patience. Recovery takes a desire
to get better. And, yes, asking for help takes a lot of courage.
RECOGNIZE
IT IS NOT ABOUT
THE FOOD OR WEIGHT
Although,
on the surface, eating disorders seem to be about food, or weight,
or about what size or shape someone is in, that’s not what eating
disorders are all about.
Eating
Disorders Happen for Lots of Reasons
One
of the main reasons is that a person had to find some way to deal
with their stress and feelings. Getting focused on food, or weight,
or dieting is a way to not be focused on other stresses or uncomfortable
feelings (and let’s face it, being a teenager offers lots of
opportunity to have stress and uncomfortable feelings.)
A
Focus on Food or Weight Won’t Help
So,
simply trying to change the way a person deals with food and weight
won’t change anything. Even if the person loses weight, he or
she will still have to deal with those stresses and feelings. Changing
how much a person does or doesn’t eat won’t change all the
other things in life that may be troublesome or upsetting. As difficult
as it is to face having an eating disorder, it may seem even more
overwhelming to think about facing the other stuff that is underneath
the eating disorder…all the uncomfortable feelings that keep
the eating disorder in place, even when the person wants to stop it.
YOU
DON’T HAVE TO
DO THIS ALONE!
Ask
For Help
Find
an adult you can trust and who will support your efforts to get the
help you need. Consider your parents, another relative, your school
counselor or nurse, your pastor, rabbi, or youth minister, a teacher,
maybe your medical doctor…any one of them might be a possibility,
a person you could confide in.
Ask this adult to visit this website (or any others recommended on
our Resources page)
with or without you. The goal here is to tell someone else you are
having a hard time and to start a dialogue about how to get some professional
help for you.
Together, gather as much information as you can. Find out who the
experts are in your community. Find a psychiatrist, or psychologist,
a social worker or a counselor who specializes in working with Teenagers
who have eating disorders. (Again, see our Resources
page for treatment locaters.)
WHAT
IF YOU SUSPECT A FRIEND
HAS AN EATING DISORDER?
Find out all you can about eating disorders. Check out your concerns
with others who know this person well. For great advice on how to
approach someone you think has an eating disorder, visit www.edap.org.
NEED
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
OR SUPPORT?
If
you are under 18 years of age, and have any interest in our Teen Telephone Seminar Connection's, “Why Can't I Just Be Happy About the
Way I Look?”, or are interested in working with a Teen
Coach, please share this information with your parent(s). Parents
may call us to discuss whether our services may be appropriate for
you. Our phone number is (513) 321-4242.
For
more information call (513) 321-4242
or email A WEIGH OUT.
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