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| What is an Eating Disorder? | Getting Help | Recovery | Worried about a friend? | Other issues | Message Boards | Forum |
Is my friend/relative going crazy?
No, but your friend is ill. An eating disorder is a mental health problem, but this does not mean that they are ‘crazy’. They may sometimes do things which don’t make sense to you but underneath it all they are the same person you know and care about so try not to let that change your attitude to them
Should I change my eating habits to fit in with my friend?
No! Don’t change your own eating habits. Unless your friend sees others eating a healthy amount of food, they could get more and more out of touch with normal eating patterns. Don’t let your friend make you feel guilty about eating a healthy, balanced diet, which includes snacks and sweet things. But try not to talk about food or calories instead talk about how much you value them as a person, without relating to what they eat, look like or how much they weigh.
Should I encourage my friend/relative to eat?
You can try! But, if you have already tried to tell them to eat or talked to them about food and weight, then you are likely to have seen that it rarely works. Your friend needs to try to take responsibility for when and what they eat; this can sometimes take a long time.
Will it help if I cover up for my friend/relative?
It won’t help anything if you lie and cover up for them. The best way to help is to let your friend or relative take responsibility for their own behaviour. The problem may go on longer and get much more serious if you cover it up. You may find it difficult to balance what they want and what you think is right. If this is the case it’s really important to be honest with them and let them know what’s worrying you. Honesty and communication are important.
