What to Expect When Your Child Has an Eating Disorder

You child was just diagnosed with an eating disorder, and you have a million questions and concerns.  That is totally understandable.  The good news is more often than not, people do recover from their easting disorder and the sooner people get help, the better their chances.  Your child is already off to a good start because you’re reading this and you are going to get them the care they need.  Here are some questions you may have:

1. Who does my kid need to see?  A therapist? A dietitian? 

Yes. Assemble a professional team.  That includes a mental health therapist/counselor who is trained in eating disorders, a registered dietitian who is trained in eating disorders, and a medical practitioner who is hopefully trained in eating disorders, but if not, willing to listen to the recommendation of the other members of the team who have more expertise.  Make sure that you team members are also Health At Every Size informed and will not support intentional weight loss.  The RDs at Simple Nutrition have years of experience treatment children and adolescents with eating disorders from a HAES/weight neutral approach.

2. Does my kid need to go somewhere for treatment?  Do they need to go to the hospital?

With that team’s assistance, decide what level of care is appropriate.  That may be an inpatient setting, like the hospital. It may be a residential treatment facility or partial hospital program.  It may be outpatient treatment. The level of care your child needs depends on a variety of factors.  Simple Nutrition provides outpatient level care for children and adolescents.

3. How do I feed them?

Your dietitian will help you with this, don’t worry!  Your kid’s eating disorder will not want your help with feeding, but you helping them get the nutrition they need will be so helpful for their body, but also their mind.  Starved brains are more anxious and more irritable, so getting more nourishment will help tremendously.  Work with you child’s dietitian to get more specific about their needs

4. What else can I do?

Your child’s team may give you some additional guidance on ways to support your child’s recovery.  Some general things to consider are being mindful of the ways food and bodies are talked about in the home, what kind of media your child is exposed to, and then helping find alternative coping strategies rather than disordered eating behaviors.

5. Is there much support for parents?

Parents, families, and caregivers need support too!  There are books to help guide parents and there are also some support forums online.  Some treatment facilities also have support groups for families/loved ones so ask around and you might find something.  It’s also not a bad idea to get therapy yourself as it can be tough sometimes and you also deserve care.

Having a child with an eating disorder can feel really scary, but the Registered Dietitians at Simple Nutrition are here to help your child heal their relationship with food and body.  Laura Watson and Donetta Floyd are two fantastic providers who will provide compassionate support to you and your child.  Book a free Discovery Call now to learn more.