Many people who struggle with an eating disorder do so on their own, often out of fear of what might happen upon revealing this news to those around them. This can especially be troubling if you're a teen who is dealing with an eating disorder who fears that his or her parents won't be understanding of this issue. When you're struggling alone, your eating disorder may increasingly get worse over time, perhaps to the point that it seriously jeopardizes your health or even results in your death. What you might not know, however, is that many positive things can happen upon sharing details of your struggle with your family. Here are some examples:
Acceptance And Encouragement
You might be afraid of your parents getting mad at you, but the opposite will ideally be true. Good parents will experience anguish at your anguish, and will accept you the way that you are. The acceptance doesn't mean, however, that they'll think it's fine for things to continue the way they are. Rather, your parents will give you their encouragement to get help. In many cases, this encouragement can make a big difference. Even the reinforcement that you're a good person who deserves to lead a healthy life can be valuable in your effort to overcome your eating disorder.
Feeling Of Not Being Alone
After feeling alone for a long time as you've struggled with your eating disorder, you might be pleased to realize that divulging your secret to your family has helped to make you feel anything but alone. Parents will often want to be valuable allies during this time. Perhaps you'll get the surprise of your parent telling you that he or she once struggled with a similar issue, and you'll immediately find that you develop a deeper bond with your parent as a result. In other cases, your parents may get books on your particular eating disorder so that they can better understand what you're enduring with the goal of standing beside you.
Help With Professional Help
Just as it can be difficult to share this secret with your family, it can also be challenging to get professional help for your eating disorder. This is especially true if you're living at home, as it may be logistically impossible for you to visit a doctor or counselor without your parents knowing. Good parents will be keen on getting you professional help, as well as driving you to and from your appointments and even considering inpatient treatment.
Check out the site of an inpatient eating disorder treatment center for more information.
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