So Your Child Has an Eating Disorder. What Now?
We at LIFT understand that approaching the topic of food with children can be daunting for parents. While we can’t predict our children’s reactions, parents remain the most reliable support for their children, and early intervention has proven to be one of the strongest indicators of recovery. Eating disorders are serious disorders and trying for everyone involved. Support for each family member through this time can be crucial to full and successful recovery.
First, trust your instincts! You as a parent can often sense when something is off. Often, individuals with eating disorders do not initially notice them. Your observation and swift response can be a powerful tool for early detection, diagnosis, and treatment. You may find it helpful to educate yourself on the warning signs of eating disorders based upon the age and gender of your child.
It is so important that you do not blame anyone for the development of an eating disorder. Risk and protective factors indicate that it is possible for any one of us to develop an eating disorder at any point in our lives. Instead of spending valuable time and energy in trying to assess and find a cause within the past, the best thing you can do for your child and yourself is to look to the future with hope and determination for recovery.
Next, schedule an appointment with your child’s doctor. In this appointment you can either address the doctor together or privately. A meeting of this sort would be useful to express a list of your concerns to your doctor and receive professional referrals. In some cases the doctor may even recommend going more in-depth with vitals to make a record of it or refer out for more intensive laboratory work. A pediatrician who has known your child for a few years would also have the ability to look at their growth chart and assess the progress made in that regard since the feeding concerns began. This said, refer back to step one if you believe your doctor has chosen a more patience relying approach. It is common to see aspects of weight stigma played out within early assessment of eating disorders, regardless of whether your child is underweight. Your concerns are valid and deserve to be taken seriously.
It’s a good idea to see what kind of professional specialized support you can access within your area. You may choose to look on the internet, ask around your network (perhaps other parents have some ideas or experience with some professionals in your area), or ask your child’s doctor for a referral to an eating disorder specialist they may know of.
This would also be a good chance to learn a little bit about the different levels of care which are available for those with eating disorders. In eating disorder care, there are of care: outpatient, intensive outpatient (IOP), partial hospitalization (PHP), residential treatment (RTC), and medical hospitalization. Each is designed specifically to support the severity of the disorder at any point. It may also be worthwhile to learn a little bit about your insurance policy and understand both in and out of network benefits based upon your plan.
When going through the process of scouting and selecting a professionals help you should also be sure to ask any questions that arise for you so you can have the greatest sense of clarity going forth possible. Any professional who is a prospective candidate for treatment should be able and willing to answer the questions you have regarding themselves, treatment, and payment. You should be sure to get all of the clarification you need before proceeding forth so you are the as comfortable as possible and get a chance to understand procedures.
Last and certainly not least, be sure that you yourself have proper support and care in place to get you through this time. Caring for a child with an eating disorder can be overwhelming and uncertain at times which can create a large sense of isolation. Be sure that you yourself are making sure your own needs are met, you are treating yourself with compassion, have people to rely on, and seek professional support if you feel it would be beneficial. There are many other places for support as well, such as support groups, friends or family who may have gone through similar circumstances with children, or a partner who is in the thick of it with you. There are also many online support groups such as through excellent books and websites.
Additional Resources: Knowledge is power! Access and utilize eating disorder resources, understand what it is your child is dealing with, and begin to formulate a plan to seek treatment. There are a multitude of resources out there from guides to eating disorders with parents, family doctors, and specialized therapists and nutritionists, and eating disorder information sites such as the National Eating Disorders Association, The Academy for Eating Disorders, and the National Institute of Metal Health. There’s a plethora of information out there, and its easy to get sucked into, remember that with the help of a treatment team and eventually your own child’s desire to heal there will be plenty of support. Be mindful that similar to WedMD, while the information is true it doesn’t always apply to your situation and it is easy for us to become anxious with all of the information presented. We wish you hope and healing on your journey. Feel free to reach out for guidance and support whenever needed.
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