Caring for someone with an eating disorder
Family and friends play a crucial role in the care, support and recovery of people with eating disorders. The effects of an eating disorder are often felt not only by the person experiencing it, but also by their family and network of friends. A carer can be a parent, partner, friend, grandparent, child, sibling, grandchild, neighbour or any other person caring for someone with an eating disorder.
If you are caring for someone with an eating disorder it is possible that at some time or another you will feel:
- Distressed about what is happening to you, the person you care for, and your family
- Burnt out from the demands of caring for someone with an eating disorder on top of family life and work commitments
- Guilty about your “role” in the illness. You may fear that you are in some way responsible
- Confused about the best way to help, both daily and in the long term goal of recovery
- Anxious and afraid about the physical and psychological changes in the person you care for
- Hopeless about your ability to provide support.
"It's scary when you're a parent; at first you just don't want to know."
All of these feelings are normal. Caring for someone with an eating disorder is a huge responsibility and comes with considerable personal strain. You may want to “fix” the problem and feel frustrated when you can’t. You may start to fear and dread meal times. You may feel like the eating disorder has taken over your life, leaving no time for the things you used to enjoy as an individual. These are all valid and normal feelings experienced by carers.
Get tips for carers
