Family and Carers
Parents, partners, siblings, friends, extended family and others, may also be affected when their loved one has an eating disorder. Each person involved will be affected in different ways, but some of the most common reactions include:
- Confusion about the condition, and believing the person with the eating disorder is choosing it.
- Confusion about why this happened, not knowing what to say, or how to support ones child/loved one.
- Confusion about the way to handle change in your child’s behaviour, seeing the loss of your child’s mental and physical health.
- Experiencing many emotions, fear, guilt about being responsible for the eating disorder or that your child may not recover.
It is important for carers to know that you need help too, and that whilst family does not cause an eating disorder, they can be central in helping the person recover.
