What You Can Do To Help Someone With An Eating Disorder

Eating disorders can be truly devastating to one's well being. The body suffers in many eating disorders, and over time, disorders such as anorexia and bulimia can lead to problems such as an irregular heartbeat and cardiac arrest. Sadly, about ten percent of all people who have eating disorders will die from them. That's not even considering the mental toll that eating disorders can take upon a person. Those with eating disorders often feel that they are worthless, as they subject their body to the pressures of being perfect, which is an unattainable goal. Many get depressed from the disorders, and suicidal tendencies may develop. It can be tough to discuss an eating disorder with someone who you think may have developed one, but in this article, we'll provide you with some tips on helping them out so that they can get over the problem.

The first thing that you need to realize when you are considering trying to help a friend with an eating disorder is that you can't simply make them stop the behavior. Telling an anorexic to eat or forcing a bulimic not to purge are temporary solutions to an underlying problem that will make them feel worse about the situation, if anything. Eating disorders are largely psychological, and the mind needs to be addressed before the body can recover. One of the most highly recommended methods of helping someone to recover from an eating disorder is to get them to desire to seek help from counselors. "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink" is an expression that is truly important when considering helping someone with an eating disorder. You can't force them to seek treatment; you can only inform them that you think that might be a good option for them. There are many methods of psychological help available, and church groups, support groups, and therapy are some ways that can be truly helpful.

Things to avoid when helping someone with an eating disorder include making statements that their body appears to be sick and unhealthy. This will cause them to have even lower self esteem which is a problem that many with eating disorders face. If you put them on the defensive side, they will be less likely to understand your compassionate plea that they get help. You don't want to make the individual feel guilty about their condition, you just need to do your best to help them to realize that they're on the wrong path and that treatment can help them to feel better. An eating disorder is often not a conscious choice that a person makes, so you shouldn't ask them why they are deciding to do it to themselves.

Basically, you need to address the person with love and compassion. You should never cast blame, and you should avoid making any statements that make them feel any lower than they already do. It's a tough problem to overcome, but with therapy and support, many people have cast aside their eating disorders, going on to live happy and healthy lives.

About the Author:
Mike Serovey is the owner and webmaster for http://www.mikeserovey.net where you can submit your articles for free.