A Project for Imagining Justice Made by Belle Seabury
TW: The content in this website may be triggering to those who have experienced or know someone who has experienced an eating disorder.These are the three most common types of eating disorders, however there are many more.
Anorexia nervosa involves an intense fear or delusions of gaining weight, and most of the time involves some type of restriction in calories or kinds of food. Many times this includes severe weight loss, but not everyone who suffers from anorexia experiences this.
Bulimia nervosa is usually characterized as a cycle that involves binge eating and purging in some way to "make up" for the binge. Just like anorexia, anyone can suffer from bulimia and it does not always involve a drastic change in weight.
Binge eating disorder is the most common eating disorder in the United States. This usually involves episodes of eating a large amount of food in a short amount of time. Unlike bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder usually does not involve purging after a binge.
Below are three things you can do to help a friend or a loved one who is currently suffering from an eating disorder.
Give them your time and be there for them to listen. Do not try and criticize or give them an ultimatum, as they are probably already experiencing a lot of self-criticism.
Learning more and researching your friend's eating disorder is important so that you can better support them. By learning more, you can also avoid making generalizations or other statements that might hurt your friend.
If possible, reassure them that professional help is available and is the best option for treating eating disorders. If they decide to seek help, offer to go with them to their first appointment to show your support.