Shedding light on eating disorders in men, this BALANCE blog navigates the unique challenges, impacts, and support options available. Men deserve recovery, too.
Eating disorder recovery is challenging for everyone involved, including parents of those with eating disorders. While working through recovery is more rewarding than staying stuck in an eating disorder, it is important to remember that recovery is not a linear process. This can make supporting your child in recovery feel demanding and exhausting.
Maintaining stable relationships with loved ones in recovery can be challenging. People with eating disorders often isolate themselves and act differently than they do when they are not struggling. That does not mean all hope is lost or that you, as part of their support system, should give up or stop doing what is best for them.
People often use the terms "eating disorders" and "disordered eating" interchangeably, but the two have significant differences. The fad wellness and starvation diets, weight loss programs, and fasting regimes that people participate in today make it difficult to differentiate these disordered eating patterns from eating disorders.
Families can play a crucial role in supporting recovery. While eating disorders are by no means a direct reflection of parents' or siblings' approach to food, it is necessary to be self-aware about food or movement. Whether you change rules around eating at the dinner table, how you comment on your own food intake or exercise choices, or even rethink comments about appearance in general, listening to your child and their support team can be incredibly helpful.
You may believe you can manage your recovery and healing from your eating disorder alone, but getting support is essential. It is human nature to both need and seek support, comfort, and accompaniment from loved ones, peers, and other beings. Finding a stable support system can be challenging. However, it is worth pursuing because it is crucial for a successful recovery.
If someone mentions eating disorders, your brain might automatically envision a white, thin woman with thinning hair, brittle nails, and a pale complexion. Not only has this been the stereotype of what having an eating disorder looks like, but it also acts as the stereotype for anorexia nervosa (AN). Yet, AN affects people from all walks of life. It can present differently across all different bodies, and harmful stereotypes such as these can interfere with the diagnosis of AN.
Food can often be an easy excuse to socialize or go out on a date. However, a meal out can bring incredible stress and discomfort for those struggling with an eating disorder. Being able to suggest other activities when making plans not only limits the discomfort for the person struggling but also allows you both to share nuanced experiences.
Eating disorders can look different across individuals and can look different within diagnoses. And while the stereotypical eating disorder patient is portrayed as incredibly thin, avoiding food, and over-exercising, eating disorders do not discriminate. They can take many forms. If you think a loved one is struggling, consider the signs below before considering how you might approach them or look to support them.
