How Education about Eating Disorders Helps Caregivers BE More Effective for a Loved One with an Eating Disorder |
 When a loved one is diagnosed with a serious illness, some of us want to run and hide and pretend it’s not happening. Some of us will be frozen with fear, some will  want to learn everything possible. And I’m sure there are dozens of other responses.What I know is that pretty much every family member I have ever spoken with has said at some point, “I would DO anything help my loved one be free of this eating disorder.” One of the actual things you can DO as a family caregiver is to educate yourself about these deadly mental illnesses. I know it might seem scary and you’ll likely hear things that terrify you. AND…it’s all helpful for you and your loved one. It takes fortitude to not let fear run the show. Education is one of the topics discussed in my HUG Kits that are available to both families directly and treatment providers for family care. Today I’m giving you a sneak peek into this topic to get you started. Why do we need to educate ourselves about our family member’s illness? As I state in this chapter of the HUG Kit Guidebook: To learn the essentials of being an effective eating disorders caregiver. You may have already learned some things. Now, you may want to consider asking yourself, “What skills do I need to learn to become a calm, compassionate, confident part of the treatment team?” Thank goodness, research is showing that including family members as an integral part of the treatment team makes a difference in treatment outcomes long term.
Which area will you learn about today? You can find many resources on my website here. Remember, every Wednesday is our group support call for family caregivers! Sign up now here. Take care,
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