Parent Advice On Encouraging Your Teen With An Eating Disorder To Seek Treatment
Convincing an older adolescent (15–17-year-olds) to seek treatment for an eating disorder can be a challenging and delicate process for parents or caregivers. Adolescents suffering with an eating disorder often experience intense feelings of shame, fear, and sometimes denial, which can cause resistance to treatment or an inability to recognize the need for help. In addition, they are moving through pivotal years of individuation and will often assert their desire for full authority over their lives.
However, with patience, empathy, and support, parent advice for teens with eating disorders can be taken well and encourage their child to take steps toward recovery. In this blog post, we’ll explore six practical strategies that you can utilize to help motivate your child to seek treatment for an eating disorder.
Educate Yourself
Take the time to educate yourself about eating disorders. Learn about the different types of eating disorders, their symptoms, and the potential risks if they are left untreated. Understanding the complexity of your child’s eating disorder will help you approach the conversation with empathy and support. You can learn more about eating disorders here and other co-occurring conditions as well.
Choose the Right Moment
Strong parent advice for teens with eating disorders emphasizes choosing the right moment for a conversation. Waiting for a calmer, more relaxed moment will allow your teen to be more receptive than bringing up the topic during stressful times, mealtimes, or when your child seems overwhelmed. This increases the chances of an open and productive conversation, reducing your teen’s defensiveness and resistance.
Express Concern, Not Judgment
Approach your child with empathy and compassion, expressing your authentic concern for your teen’s well-being. Judgmental or accusatory language should be avoided as this may cause your child to shut down or become defensive. Instead, focus on expressing your support and your desire to help them get the treatment they need as you would for any other medical or health condition.
Use “I” Statements
When discussing your teen’s eating disorder, use “I” statements to express your feelings and observations as a parent. Advice would be to change the phrasing of how you’re feeling. Instead of saying, “You make me angry when I watch you make yourself sick,” try saying, “I feel concerned about you and how your behaviors may be affecting your health.”
Highlight the Benefits of Treatment
Help your teen with an eating disorder understand the potential benefits of treatment. You can highlight how treatment can improve their physical health, emotional well-being, and overall quality of life. Emphasize that recovery is possible and seeking help is a sign of strength, not weakness.
Involve Professional Support
If your teen is resistant to seeking treatment, consider involving the advice of trusted healthcare providers or specialized eating disorder clinicians. Sometimes, hearing concerns from multiple sources can help reinforce the importance of getting help. Our team at Inner Haven Wellness is here to help provide guidance to you on how to talk about the advantages of early intervention as well as the risks of delaying treatment.
If you are unsure if your teen is suffering with an eating disorder, you can take our quiz and talk through the results with our team.
Key Takeaways
- Learn about eating disorders so you can better understand your child’s situation and approach them with empathy.
- Pick a time when your teen is relaxed and comfortable, avoiding stressful moments that might make them defensive.
- Show compassion and worry about your child’s health, and avoid judgmental language that could shut down the conversation.
- Focus on expressing your feelings and concerns in a non-judgmental way, using “I” statements to avoid making accusations.
- Talk about how treatment can improve their physical and mental health, and emphasize that recovery is possible and seeking help is a sign of strength.
- If your child is resistant to help, consider involving healthcare providers or specialized clinicians to reinforce the importance of treatment.
We support many parents and caregivers as they work to help their adolescent child build motivation for change. Please feel free to contact us by clicking here, and one of our compassionate team members will contact you within 24 hours.