How To Help Children And Youth With Eating Disorders
Anorexia/Bulimia; Eating/Not Eating Problems; Compulsive Overeating
As soon as challenges like overeating, (with or without purging), or not eating are noticed get as thorough a medical evaluation as possible. Try to find practitioners who know a lot about the practices listed below. Without help, eating disorders can cause death, organ damage, relationship challenges in adult life, emotional confusion, reduction in learning ability and decrease already low self-esteem. They can be signs of great emotional upset and confusion; the need for communication opportunities and skills; social isolation; media created self loathing. These disorders are often linked to a combination of: depression or other mental illnesses; anxiety; unhealed abuses of all kinds; traumas of all kinds; lack of opportunity to heal. They may be affected by nutritional imbalances or exposure to environmental pollutants. Low self-esteem combined with ideas from advertisers can complicate self-destructive patterns.
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First, We Would Investigate |
Second, We Would Investigate |
For Long Term Support |
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On Our Own We Would Try: • Replace sodas, juices, sugars, fats, fast foods with water, veggies, whole grains, nuts, protein, fruit, slow food • Long Walks/Hikes • Bedtime Stories and Chats • Wholesome Pleasures • Back Rubs and Foot Massages • Nature • Pets • Less or No TV, Movies, Video/Computer Games |
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For Parents: • Keep focusing on love. • Monitor computer access to websites that support eating disorders. • Seek out parents of other children or youth with the same kind of challenges. Support each other. • Find and express faith that everything will work out well. |
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Check out: www.MedLinePlus.gov; www.KidsHealth.org; www.edap.org, Elizabeth Scott; www.traumasoma.com/index.shtml (very technical); www.acestudy.org. |