Guiding and Aiding Troubled Adolescent Eating Habits
In recent years, there has been a concerning increase in eating disorders among young people, particularly in industrialized nations. This trend, influenced by global factors such as societal changes, social media, wars, and climate change, has led to a significant challenge for families and friends [6].
One of the challenges faced by young people with eating disorders is the lack of opportunities for peer interaction and personal contact with non-family trusted persons such as social pedagogical or teaching staff. This isolation can exacerbate the symptoms of eating disorders [1].
However, family and friends play a crucial role in supporting individuals with eating disorders. Offering warmth, empathy, and nonjudgmental listening, maintaining open and honest communication, and encouraging professional treatment early are key ways to provide support [1][3].
Building positive, supportive relationships that reduce isolation and emotional distance is essential. Validating feelings and acknowledging fears related to treatment resistance, while gently encouraging professional help, is also important [1][3].
Avoiding comments about weight, appearance, or eating habits, focusing instead on overall well-being and strength, can help create a stress-reducing environment. Encouraging regular meals, sufficient sleep, realistic goals, and healthy coping mechanisms like hobbies and mindfulness can further support recovery [2].
Engaging caregivers in treatment processes can improve family dynamics and reduce distress for all involved, contributing to recovery [5]. Friends can offer to go with the affected person to seek help from a professional.
It's important to understand that friends and family are not solely responsible for addressing the eating disorder. Responsibilities should be distributed among those who can take them, such as school social workers or counseling centers.
Counseling centers offer a low-threshold, professional context in which affected individuals can receive initial support. A comprehensive treatment plan should be created early on, discussing necessary steps to overcome the eating disorder [4].
Techniques that strengthen treatment motivation can help in the initial steps of recovery, but these can also be challenging and painful. Recovery from eating disorders is a process that is not always straightforward, and it's essential to approach the topic without making accusations or scolding [5].
Information for those affected, relatives, and friends is available from the Federal Institute for Public Health (BIG). The Covid pandemic and accompanying measures such as lockdown have led to a further increase in mental illnesses in young people, emphasizing the need for continued support [7].
Understanding that the eating disorder is often a desperate solution attempt for the affected person can help in handling a more unpleasant reaction. Spatial and social isolation within the nuclear family has resulted in more stress and conflicts, especially for previously stressed groups [2].
Encouragingly, eating disorders, even severe cases, are treatable and curable. In fact, 41% of patients classified as recovered five years after the end of therapy [3]. With compassionate family involvement and timely professional intervention, treatment outcomes and recovery from eating disorders can significantly improve [1][5].
In the realm of health-and-wellness, incorporating informative discussions on mental health, such as eating disorders, during science classes in schools could potentially provide valuable opportunities for young people. This could assist in reducing the isolation experienced by those affected, as radio broadcasts could share these discussions, reaching a wider audience and fostering a sense of connection. Furthermore, mental health professionals could be invited as guests on radio shows to provide insight, ensuring that accurate information is shared, thereby supporting mental health education and advocacy.
