How to Help a Person with Anorexia: 8 Supportive Tips

Anorexia is an eating disorder whose treatment is complicated In it, the person sees their body perception altered, seeing themselves as overweight. This encourages them to carry out unhealthy behaviors in relation to food, with the intention of losing weight to the point where they reach malnutrition.

Anorexia not only involves nutritional problems, but is also accompanied by the inability to deal with anxiety and stress. By exercising control over their eating, the person suffering from this disorder can find a brief moment of calm.

Given the complexity of the disorder, it is of fundamental importance that the family and group of friends of the person with anorexia be by their side, convincing them that they should ask for help in addition to this close environment being a key factor in recovery.

Next We will see some tips to help a person with anorexia in addition to making known what should not be done at all if you want to speed up the recovery process.

How to help a person with anorexia? Practical tips

It may be the case that a person close to us suffers from anorexia. In this disorder, because the person has a wrong perception of his own body, Seeing yourself as larger than your actual body size, you try to lose weight doing very strict diets, in addition to exercising obsessively.

By reaching a very low weight and not meeting the body’s demands for calories and nutrients, some of the physical symptoms that the disorder produces are skin discoloration, digestive discomfort, dehydration, malnutrition, dizziness, fainting, fatigue, bone loss, heart problems and electrolyte imbalances. In the long run, this set of physical problems leads to death

But not only the person with anorexia suffers from their pathology. Those close to them, both family and friends, suffer as they see how a loved one progressively deteriorates.

Since it is a mental disorder, The people who are responsible for the diagnosis and treatment of anorexia are psychologists, psychiatrists and doctors, which, working together, promote the recovery of people who suffer from the disorder. It is very important to understand that it is the task of health professionals who are in charge of the recovery of people with these disorders.

However, as friends and family, we can help in recovery by avoiding doing things that can cause physical and emotional discomfort to the person with anorexia in addition to providing support and serving as an example to follow healthy habits.

To do?

These are the main tips when providing support and assistance to a person with anorexia, although They cannot replace therapy from a professional:

1. Educate yourself about anorexia

Before talking to a person in our environment who we suspect could suffer from anorexia, it is best to research reliable sources about this disorder.

Although the fight against beauty standards has managed to raise awareness among the population about how eating disorders occur, especially in women, there are many myths about them. We must not forget at any time that It is a psychological disorder, and as such it must be addressed

Trying to better understand what could be happening to someone we know is very beneficial both for them and for us, since it allows us to understand the suffering they are going through and allows us to see the most appropriate way to deal with the issue.

A thorough search for information about anorexia will allow you to see that it is not just about wanting to lose weight or look fatter than you really are. There is a lot of psychological discomfort behind what leads a person to be in this situation.

2. Talk about the topic at the right time

Once we have documented ourselves, it is time to try to talk to the person who we suspect is going through this problem.

Given the seriousness of the matter, it is very important to choose the right place and time, to avoid generating a tense situation. The place where you talk to him/her should not have distracting elements, this way you will make him/her pay more attention to you.

Avoid having this conversation after an argument and try to do it in a private place. Express your concern about their health in a calm manner, since doing so in an alarmed manner will increase tension. As you talk, describe some behaviors you’ve seen in him/her that made you think he/she might be having some kind of problem. Make it clear that you only care about him/her and that you want to make sure everything is going well.

3. Talk about anorexia without stigmas

Having documented anorexia prevents us from talking about this disorder based on preconceived ideas and stigmas. The person with anorexia will no longer feel comfortable due to the fact of suffering from this psychological alteration, so We should not make her more uncomfortable by using stereotypical ideas on the subject while having the conversation.

A good way to start the conversation is by saying that many people suffer from this disorder, and that it is not their fault that they suffer from it. You can even talk about famous people who have gone through this disorder and have managed to overcome it.

4. Make him see the problem

Many people who suffer from a psychological disorder are not aware of having it; However, this does not mean that it does not cause suffering.

Images can be presented of people who are suffering from anorexia and who appear similar to the person we are concerned about. It is also a good idea to use informative videos from professionals that detail the symptoms of the disorder or that feature testimonials from people who have gone through this and offer their experience.

Let them know there are associations, support groups and other resources where you can understand what you are going through. If he really isn’t suffering from anorexia, he doesn’t lose anything by checking it out.

5. Prepare for a negative reaction

It is likely that, the moment the word anorexia appears in the conversation or you express concern about your loved one’s health, they will react badly, saying that they do not want to talk about the subject or downplaying the matter.

This type of reaction is normal, for this reason you must remain calm, prevent what they say from being considered a personal attack and stand firm saying that you want the best for her. Tell her that you would also feel upset if someone told her that she thought she might be having a problem, but make her think by saying that it’s okay for someone to worry about you.

6. Help him help himself

Once you are aware of the problem, we must help the person to seek and find effective treatment for your problem.

Sometimes it is difficult to ask for professional help, and there are many people who need this type of intervention but who procrastinate the appointment and what was going to be a few days turns into years. Although there may be no immediate risk to the person’s life, urgent psychological, psychiatric and medical intervention is necessary. Malnutrition can cause serious health problems, and the psychological suffering you already suffer may be destroying you from the inside.

To ensure that the person receives the appropriate help We can accompany you on the first day of your appointment with a health professional If it turns out that you cannot afford it, we can offer to find cheaper professional alternatives or even pay for a session. We must understand that money is the least important thing if we want to preserve the life of a loved one.

7. Be an example and stay by their side

If you eat together, promote a healthy lifestyle by eating nutritious dishes in appropriate quantities.

Food should not be seen as a source of concern, it should be treated as something that gives pleasure and helps us maintain our vital functions. Don’t restrict your food, or say out loud phrases like “I stuffed myself today” or “I shouldn’t have eaten that.”

In more advanced stages of recovery, when the person already has fewer worries about food, if one day you eat something that was previously “forbidden” such as a piece of pizza or a cake, offer positive reinforcement. Tell him that you’re glad he’s eating that food, that he deserves to treat himself once in a while.

8. Praise her for being who she is

The physique is not everything in this world People have other characteristics that define us and that make up our identity.

Intelligence, kindness, courage and other aspects are characteristics that we can praise in the person we love. This way we will make her feel loved, that we care, and that her body does not completely define her.

What not to do?

Let’s look at several behaviors and strategies to avoid:

1. Control your behavior

The road to recovery is long and involves deep reflection and a phase of self-knowledge.

Although with the best of intentions, You should not control what the person does all the time, since it will make them feel that their autonomy and freedom are being taken away

If she is a teenager, the family should not prohibit her from doing things as simple as going to the bathroom alone or going outside, especially if she has not eaten all the food on her plate. You must follow the guidelines that the professional treating you has given us.

2. Negative comments

Don’t make negative comments about your body or that of other people since this way you will be reinforcing the idea that people should only be valued based on their appearance.

There are many ways in which society bombards people, especially women, with beauty standards that disparage overweight people. Don’t be part of this. You should also not make comments like “I’m so fat…” or “I’ve turned into a cow.” They just don’t help.

3. Hide the disease

It is possible that the person affected by anorexia has told you about his problem because he trusts you very much. Plus, he may have asked you not to tell anyone else, and he’ll be disappointed if you tell his family.

Given that we are facing a health problem in which, in the most serious cases, the person can die, hiding this means passively worsening the situation.

We must tell people around us and, if necessary, tell authorities in case we see that a death may occur soon.

4. Make hasty decisions

Given the complexity of anorexia, This is not going to be solved in a couple of days We must trust that the treatment will promote the person’s recovery, but we must also maintain a position of understanding towards them and be patient in the process.