Family Plays an Important Role in Teen Eating Disorder Treatment
Everyone in eating disorder recovery needs a support system. For teenagers and young adults who are recovering from an eating disorder, that support system often revolves around family. Teens and young adults typically return home after eating disorder treatment – and while returning home is beneficial in terms of the availability of support, it can also present a few challenges.
Eating disorders impact the entire family, disrupting daily routines and taking attention away from siblings and others. Family members may have conflicting emotions when their loved one comes home from an eating disorder treatment program – excitement to have their child, grandchild or sibling home, but also residual pain, resentment and frustration caused by painful memories from the past.
Recovery isn’t a one-time event that happens while a teenager is in an eating disorder treatment program. Rather, it is an ongoing process that takes place on a daily basis, surrounded by family and friends. For this reason, family involvement is a critical component of eating disorder recovery, particularly for adolescents.
During eating disorder treatment, family therapy can help the entire family learn about:
- The causes and consequences of eating disorders as well as the process of eating disorder recovery
- How to support their loved one during treatment and help resolve underlying emotional issues
- Effective communication and conflict resolution
- Setting realistic expectations of themselves and others
- Setting healthy boundaries
- Developing a healthy sense of self
Some eating disorder treatment programs also facilitate multi-family group counseling. Attended by a number of families, these sessions provide another layer of support and understanding for the families of teens with eating disorders.
The process of recovery can be both inspiring and discouraging, with alternating successes and setbacks. Family therapy helps family members take care of themselves while offering the support and consistency their loved one in recovery needs. Offering unconditional support for a child or loved one may be a challenge, but the reward can be a full recovery from a life-threatening eating disorder and a closer parent-child relationship.