How to Help Your Teenage Child Cope With Anorexia?

Anorexia nervosa is a debilitating disorder that has shattered the lives of many teenagers. The battle against this disease is intense and requires all of the mental, emotional, physical, and social resources that a family can muster. Here’s what you, as a parent, can do to help your child cope with this disorder.

First, every child/person/patient is different, and you need to be attuned to what your child needs personally. On the other hand, this disease is remarkably similar in all patients, and that is because it IS a disease with a disease pattern and a specific aetiology. Therefore, the first step is to acknowledge that this is a real illness, as serious as cancer. Solicit professional help from a doctor who specialises in teen eating disorder treatment as soon as possible. Early intervention can be the difference between a one-year recovery or two- to three-year recovery period.

Second, realise that this illness developed over a more extended period than you realise so that recovery will take just as long. You and your family are in for the long haul; this process will most likely consume all of the collective time and energy of your immediate family for at least several months to a year or two or longer. Your main job for the first several months is to support your child. Be there with him/her and listen to what they have to say.

Third, recognise that the battle against this disease is intense and requires all of the family’s mental, emotional, physical, and social resources. The best defence is to take your child to a private eating disorder clinic for a more comprehensive treatment. Your child will likely need a child psychiatrist as well since some medications are useful to treat co-occurring disorders such as obsessive-compulsive disorder and anxiety.

You can help your child recover from eating disorders such as anorexia. All you need to do is understand that if there are two parents or caregivers in the family, you should always present a united front. Your day-to-day tactics with your daughter or son needs to be unified. The anorexic mind will look for any opportunity it can to find any ambiguity in your system. Together, you must both be diligent in encouraging your child to eat and rest. Be supportive of your child and to each other.

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Created on Apr 25th 2020 01:59. Viewed 315 times.

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