How to help someone with anorexia: 8 tips for support

Tips for supporting someone with anorexia, a serious disorder that requires intervention.

Anorexia is a complicated eating disorder that is difficult to treat.. In this disorder, the person's perception of their body is altered and they see themselves as overweight. This favors 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 problems at the nutritional level, but also comes with the inability to cope with anxiety and stress. By exercising control over their food, 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 his or her side, convincing him or her to ask for help, as well as this close environment being a key factor in recovery.

Here are some tips on how to help a person with anorexia. we will see some advices to be able to help a person with anorexiaIn addition to giving to know what should not be done at all if it is tried to accelerate the process of recovery.

How to help a person with anorexia? Practical advice

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, body size, he/she tries to lose weight by going on very strict diets, in addition to making very strict diets, besides doing exercise in an obsessive way.

By reaching a very low weight and not meeting the body's demands for calories and nutrients, some of the physical symptoms produced by the disorder are skin discoloration, digestive discomfort, dehydration, malnutrition, dizziness, fainting, fatigue, bone loss, Heart problems and electrolyte imbalances. Ultimately, this set of physical problems leads to death..

But it is not only the person with anorexia who suffers as a result of his or her pathology. Those close to them, both family and friends, suffer as they watch their loved one progressively deteriorate.

As it is a mental disorder, the people who are in charge of diagnosing and treating anorexia are psychologists, psychiatrists and doctors, who, working together, are able to diagnose and treat anorexia.working together, they help in the recovery of people suffering 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 the recovery, avoiding doing things that can generate physical and emotional discomfort to the person with anorexia in addition to providing support and serve as an example to follow healthy habits.

What to do?

These are the main tips when it comes to providing support and assistance to a person with anorexia, although they cannot replace therapy by a professional.:

1. Educate yourself about anorexia

Before talking to a person around you who you suspect may be suffering from anorexia, the best thing to do is to get information about this disorder from reliable sources.

Despite the fact that the fight against the canons of beauty has succeeded in raising awareness of how eating disorders occur, especially in women, there are many myths about them. We must not forget at any time that is a psychological disorder, and as such must be addressed..

Trying to better understand what might be happening to an acquaintance is very beneficial both for him/her and for us, since it allows us to understand the suffering he/she is 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 that leads a person to be in this situation.

2. Talk about it at the right time

Once we have done our research, it is time to try to talk to the person we suspect is experiencing this problem.

Given the seriousness of the issue, it is very important to choose the right place and time to avoid creating a tense situation.to avoid creating a tense situation. The place where you talk to him/her should not have distracting elements, so 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 his/her state of health in a calm manner.Doing so in an alarmed manner will increase tension. As you talk, describe some behaviors you have seen in him/her that have made you think he/she might be experiencing some kind of problem. Make it clear that you are only concerned about him/her and that you want to make sure everything is going well.

3. Talk about anorexia without stigmatization

Having documented about anorexia prevents us from talking about this disorder based on preconceived ideas and stigmas. The person with anorexia will no longer feel at ease just because he or she suffers from this psychological disorder, so so we should not make them more uncomfortable by using stereotypical ideas about the subject while maintaining the conversation.

A good way to start the conversation is to say that there are many people who 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/her see the problem

Many people who suffer from a psychological disorder are not aware that they suffer from it; however, this does not mean that it is not their fault.However, this does not mean that it does not cause them suffering.

You can present images of people who are suffering from anorexia and who look similar to the person you are concerned about. It's also a good idea to use informational videos from professionals detailing the symptoms of the disorder or featuring testimonials from people who have been through it and offer their experience.

Let him/her know that there are associations, support groups and other resources where she can understand what she is going through. If she's not really suffering from anorexia, it doesn't hurt to check it out.

5. Be prepared for a negative reaction

The moment the word anorexia comes up in conversation or you express concern about your loved one's health, he or she is likely to react badly, saying that he or she doesn't want to talk about it or downplaying the issue.

This type of reaction is normal, so you should remain calm, avoid letting what he or she may say to you be considered a personal attack and stand firm by saying that you want the best for her. Tell him that you'd be upset too if someone told him that they thought he might be having a problem, but give him pause by saying that it's okay for someone to care about you.

6. Help him to help himself

Once the person is aware of the problem, we should help the person seek and find effective treatment for his or her problem. for his or her problem.

Sometimes it is difficult to ask for professional help, and there are many people who need this type of intervention but 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 lead to serious health problems, and the psychological suffering the person is already experiencing may be tearing him or her apart.

To make sure that the person receives the right help we can accompany you on the first day of your appointment with a health professional.. If she cannot afford it, we can offer to look for 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 and in the right quantities.

Food should not be seen as a source of worry, it should be treated as something that gives pleasure and helps us to 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 later stages of recovery, when the person is less concerned about food, if one day you eat something that was "forbidden" before, such as a slice of pizza or a cake, offer positive reinforcement. Tell her that you're glad she's eating that food, that she deserves to indulge once in a while.

8. Praise her for who she is

Physique isn't everything in this world. People have other characteristics that define us and 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 about her, and that her body does not define her completely.

What not to do?

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

1. Controlling her behavior.

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

Although with the best of intentions, you should not control all the time what the person does, since it will make you feel that you are taking away his autonomy and freedom..

In the case of an adolescent, the family should not forbid him/her to do simple things such as going to the bathroom alone or going out in the street, especially if he/she has not eaten all the food on the plate. The guidelines given by the professional treating the child should be followed.

2. Negative comments

Do not make negative comments about her body or other people's bodies.You will be reinforcing the idea that people should only be valued based on how they look.

There are many ways in which society bombards people, especially women, with beauty standards that belittle overweight people. Don't be a part of this. Nor should you make comments like "I'm so fat..." or "I've become a cow." They just don't help.

3. Hiding the illness

The person affected by anorexia may have told you about his or her problem because he or she has a lot of confidence in you. In addition, he or she may have asked you not to tell anyone else, and will be disappointed if you tell his or her family.

Since we are dealing with a health problem in which, in the most severe cases, the person may die, hiding this is passively worsening the situation.

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

4. Making 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 favor the person's recovery, but we must also maintain a posture of understanding towards the person and be patient in the process.

Bibliographic references:

• American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Manual diagnóstico y estadístico de los trastornos mentales. Quinta edición. DSM-V. Masson, Barcelona.
• Rosen, D.S. (2003). Identifying and treating eating disorders. Pediatrics;111:204–11.
• National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (2004). Eating disorders: care interventions in the treatment and management of anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and related eating disorders. London: National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.