My Child Has an Eating Disorder - What Should I Do?

Many parents who suspect their child has an eating disorder are unsure what to do to address their concerns. Although there is specialist advice and support available, it is difficult to access without the co-operation of the sufferer and it is understandable that broaching the subject with a son or daughter, often during their adolescence, can be a worrying prospect.

However difficult it may be, experts advise parents to try and find the earliest available opportunity to discuss their concerns with their child in as sensitive and caring a way as possible. Eating disorders very rarely improve without intervention and can become increasingly resistant to treatment the longer time goes by.

Feedback from such encounters shows that perseverance may be necessary - young people often become angry, feeling their personal space is being invaded and their emotions may already be volatile even without their parents apparently challenging them.

It may therefore be necessary for parents to raise the subject on several occasions, each time emphasising their desire to offer help and support, before their son or daughter takes on board the concerns being expressed and the opportunity they present to break the destructive cycle in which they may have become locked.

Once a child has agreed to discuss their problems with a professional, a GP is the best option as an entry point into accessing the care and support that is available to eating disorder sufferers and their families. If an eating disorder is diagnosed, a treatment programme will be drawn up addressing the particular needs of the individual. This may involve sessions with a counsellor, psychiatrist or psychologist to identify the root causes of the condition and the most effective ways in which the eating disorder may be treated. Not all people with eating disorders are admitted to hospital - many can receive the treatment and support they need from a programme of therapy or day care.

Persuading an eating disorder sufferer to take the initial step of accessing professional help can be viewed as a critical breakthrough in their journey to recovery. They will have access to the support of a wide range of specialist health professionals.

Relatives may be invited to take part in family therapy, which can be a demanding process covering difficult ground. Parents should not feel they are in any sense being judged, assessed or admonished - this type of group therapy is important because of the way family relationships shape young people's experience of the world around them. Their perception of self and others need to be explored carefully in order to come to terms with the underlying causes of their eating disorder.

As an anorexia or bulimia sufferer's treatment progresses, parents will be given up-to-date advice on how mealtimes should be planned and managed in order to give their child the best support through the recovery process. With so much at stake, mealtimes can be stressful, demanding experiences for children with eating disorders, their parents and their siblings. Professionals are mindful of these challenges and can work with families to develop strategies and routines to make mealtimes positive socially as well as nutritionally.

Once professionals are on board, it is critical that parents resist the temptation to police their child's eating or allow them to become embroiled in battles over food consumption. An experienced team of health professionals will be fully responsible for the continuous assessment of the patient's overall nutrition and physical wellbeing.

Family support can be crucial to successful recovery but maintaining that support can be an exhausting, stressful experience Above all else, families of eating disorder sufferers should bear in mind that help is available for them as well. There are many good support groups and networks for parents, siblings and other carers and it is important that full advantage is taken of these services so that all concerned are able to offer the best collective support.