Self Help and Eating Disorders

Eating disorders are complex and serious conditions that should be treated as soon as possible by a health professional. However, if the patient resists treatment, there are a few self-help measures that may be taken at home while professional help is sought. These measures are not enough to treat the most serious of these disorders, but they can be helpful in controlling the condition while professional counsel is being arranged. However, if the eating disorder has progressed and health consequences become obvious, immediate steps must be taken to ensure professional medical attention for the patient.

For patients suffering from anorexia nervosa, here are some guidelines that help control the condition. The first piece of advice is that diets should be avoided completely. Dieting is often not healthy, and can be especially dangerous when adopted by someone who has experience with this often-serious condition. A regular exercise routine should be established, but limited to roughly three to five times per week. Each session should last for about thirty minutes. Rigorous exercise or extensive exercise sessions should be avoided entirely. The patient should seek out activities that are enjoyable and which put an emphasis on fun and movement. Competitive or rigorous activities are best avoided.

Anorexia patients should also seek out the company of a close, supportive network of family and friends. Eating disorder patients are often ashamed of their body and their condition, and will strive to keep an eating disorder a secret. Patients should find someone they trust and speak to them about their condition. For reassurance, it can help for the patient to ask a close friend or family member about their weight. A trusted friend can help to put things into perspective, and can offer comfort and guidance.

For patients suffering from bulimia, it is recommended that they avoid letting their feelings control how they treat their eating patterns. If the patient feels angry, frustrated, depressed, or lonely, it is best accept these feelings. Accepting one's current state of mind can often help overcome the desperation and frustration that often comes at these moments. The patient should seek to eat with trusted family members or friends, and avoid any situation that they feel might trigger an emotional binge and purge episode. The practice of keeping a food diary is recommended for patients suffering from bulimia. This can help the patient identify emotional triggers that may lead them to a binge and purge session. This is often the first step in learning to deal with these feelings in a healthy manner.

Other tips for dealing with an eating disorder include getting enough sleep, ideally at least seven hours a night. Getting rest can often help alleviate the anguish associated with depression, anger and other powerful states. Also, the patient should seek to stay busy, avoiding having many hours of unstructured time in their schedule. These moments alone can often trigger a relapse of some kind of emotional eating. Dieting should be avoided. The idea of deprivation can also trigger emotional eating patterns.

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