When you’re caring for a loved one with an eating disorder, it’s easy to question your abilities and let a lack of confidence take over. Are you doing a good job as you help them through treatment and recovery? Are you encouraging them to stay focused on and committed to the end goal? Are you staying hopeful for the future?
What Leads to a Lack of Confidence
A lack of confidence can be caused by:
Your own fears
The opinions of others, especially the eating disorder sufferer
Failing to focus on the end goal
Failing to listen to others or feeling like you’re not being heard
Not forgiving yourself for mistakes
Not trusting yourself with decision-making
Not setting healthy boundaries
Exhaustion
How to Restore Your Confidence
Fortunately, you can restore your belief in yourself and become the caregiver that your loved one needs. Some ways to develop your confidence include:
Focusing on the end goal
Educating yourself about eating disorders, eating disorder treatment, and eating disorder recovery as well as the important role that you play as a caregiver
If you’re the parent of a child struggling with an eating disorder or disordered eating, consider reading Off the C.U.F.F.: A Parent Skills Book for the Management of Disordered Eating by Nancy Zucker. Focusing on your skills as a caregiver will play an indelible role in your child’s journey.
Practicing self-care on a daily basis
Reminding yourself (or asking others to remind you!) that you’re doing a good job
Finding a strong support system
It helps to know that you’re not alone. As important as it is to connect with other caregivers in person, you can also gain important insights by reading about others’ experiences. Grab a copy of Eating With Your Anorexic: A Mother’s Memoir by Laura Collins for an empowering book that serves as “a beacon of hope” according to one review.
We believe that the standard of care for eating disorder treatment should include a support person for caregivers, but until then, we hope that these tips and reminders bring you comfort and peace for the road ahead. Remember that developing your own confidence will serve to improve your loved one’s confidence too.
If you need help as you navigate caring for a loved one with an eating disorder, the Recovery Roadmap Series can serve as your guidebook! Reach out with any questions.
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